Their Girl?
by ActingLovingAardvark
Summary: Alex was abducted by Jonathan, the vampire with the unique but extremely powerful gifts, and had her memory erased. Two years have passed and Alex is 16. What will happen when she is adopted by a family... and they reveal her past? Follows Parker's Girl.
1. Reality and Dreams

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Hey, I'm at it again! This is the story that follows Parker's Girl, which is the sequel to Esme's Girl. If you have not read either of these stories, you will be so utterly confused that you will see dancing squirrels! Well, not really... But wouldn't that be cool? So, my point is, please read Esme's Girl then Parker's Girl before you will read this. By reading the first two stories, this story will make more sense and you will enjoy this even more!  
So, without further ado... I present to you the first chapter of "Their Girl?"!  
I'm not technically making a prologue as to leave YOU guessing what happened to the infamous Alex! The summary might give it away though...  
P.S.- The Tracey Morgan Foster Home in Hyattsville, MD does not exist.**

It had been two years.  
Two years since she had seen her family.  
Two years since she had seen her home.  
Two years since everything had been erased.  
To her, anyway.  
As she slept on that last night of July, she had no idea what was coming. She had no idea what she was going to learn about herself. About her past.  
Most of all, she had no idea she would eventually come face to face with the "man" who took everything away from her, two years ago.  
Her past is coming to the present.  
Is she ready?  
Are you? 

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 1  
-oOo-  
**

August 1st, 2011 

My name is Alex Parker. I am sixteen years old.  
I am completely, utterly alone.  
I have been in the foster care system my entire life. I don't know my mother or father. I've never had a family.  
I've never been loved.  
I live in the Tracey Morgan Foster Home in Hyattsville, Maryland. Until about two years ago, I lived in a foster home somewhere in the state of Washington, I think. At least that's what my social worker Mr. Johnson said. Mr. Johnson moved me to Maryland because I was struggling at my old school and he wanted me to finish my freshmen year off right. Whatever. I get good grades, all A's and the occasional B. What more do I need to do? Nobody really cares, anyway.  
I haven't seen him again since he moved me here.  
My tragic upbringing had left me cold. I'm more of the quiet type. I only have two friends, if you count my best friend's boyfriend.  
Beth Richards is quiet and artistic, like me. Secretly, she and I love fashion. We are a lot alike.  
Especially the fact that, she too, lives at the foster home with me.  
She has long, jet black hair that she always has up. She is kinda tall, coming in at five foot eight. She has curves in all the right places, and it makes me extremely jealous. I am really skinny and barely have as nice of a, um... chest as Beth. Her boyfriend, Cris Jones, is a lucky guy. He's into art as well and can do really realistic self-portraits. Beth has one he drew of her at lunch hanging on the wall of our room that we share. He is everything a good boyfriend should be: kind, caring, protective, supportive, loving, loyal, and funny. Not to mention he's drop dead gorgeous.  
Beth says I could get a boyfriend if I got off of my shy butt and looked for someone. She says I'm pretty. I have shoulder length, dirty-blonde hair with a pink streak that I added in the front. I'm not very tall, only coming in at five foot four. I have blue eyes with long eyelashes. I went a little rebellious at one point and saved up big time to get my nose pierced. A small diamond stud always sits in my nose. Maybe some guy, one day, will find me attractive...  
Besides occasionally hanging out with Beth and Cris, my life is pretty boring. Nothing exciting has ever happened to me. I have no other friends and I'm not in any clubs. However, I was thinking about getting a job so I could save up money to get a car and get the heck out of this town...  
I've just about lost hope on the whole adoption thing. People want to adopt little children, not troubled teenagers. If anybody comes to the foster home and takes someone home with them, it's a child.  
It was noon, so I headed down to the main floor to see if I could get a sandwich or something.  
"Alex! Come here for a moment," Ms. Mayweather said.  
Ms. Mayweather. The head of the foster home. She was a plump little woman with rosy cheeks. Her eyes were green and so small that they looked like little gumdrops. Her grey hair was like a mound of fluff upon her head. Ms. Mayweather was so kind and sweet that it was creepy.  
"Yes?" I asked.  
"You have a meeting scheduled tomorrow with a nice family," she told me.  
"I do?" I asked, bewildered.  
"Yes. A family called the Cullens. They were very kind when I spoke to them on the phone. I think they are excited to meet you!" Ms. Mayweather clapped excitedly then hurried away to the kitchen.  
I wasn't hungry anymore. I ran up to my room and flopped down onto my bed. A family? Coming to see me? Really?  
I sighed. They would probably take one look at me then change their minds and not adopt me. They would probably want a child.  
Another little child, getting a new home.  
What am I getting myself into? 

-oOo- 

I woke up frantically and looked over at my boring grey alarm clock. It was only one-thirty in the morning. I groaned internally.  
I had the same dream I had every night.  
I was sitting in a forest. It was cloudy and chilly. A figure started to walk out of the misty woods towards me. It was a woman, and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was extremely pale, with wavy caramel-colored hair and golden eyes. A kind smile was always spread on her face. Usually, she would walk towards me, reach down to me, and then I would wake up.  
That wasn't the case tonight.  
The beautiful woman walked over to me and knelt down on the ground.  
She said a sentence that sent a shiver down my spine. It was barely above a whisper, but I could hear her loud and clear.  
"Alex... I missed you..." 

**-oOo-**

**So, what did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Send me a review! Tell your friends, too! It would make me really, really happy!  
You guys... I missed you...**


	2. Meeting

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
What the firetruck? Six reviews already? You guys are spoiling me... But don't stop! Please leave me a review!**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 2  
-oOo-  
**

August 2nd, 2011 

I was barely able to fall asleep again after waking up in the middle of the night. It was now eight, so I figured I'd get up and get something to eat.  
"Alex, don't dawdle!" Ms. Mayweather said. "Your interview is at nine-thirty!"  
I sighed. Why must it be so early? I was hoping to have time to draw a little bit before they came. So much for that...  
I looked out the window as I headed downstairs and it was raining. It had been raining the past couple days. I didn't really mind, though. I kinda liked the rain.  
I grabbed an English muffin, some jam, and a glass of milk for breakfast. It was the same old meal for me, but it was still yummy none the less.  
I was done eating by eight-thirty, and after chatting with Beth for a while, it was eight-fifty when I started to get ready. I threw one of the nicest shirts I had, which was a plain black blouse. The shirt itself was pretty but plain, so I always put a white rose pin on the shirt. White roses are my favorite flowers. I don't know why they are... Along with the blouse, I put on my nice grey skirt and some black shoes. This ensemble was one of the nicest outfits I had.  
I put my hair up into a ponytail. The pink streak was still visible in the front. I applied my make-up, put my diamond stud in my nose, and headed downstairs. It was nine-twenty. The Cullens wouldn't be getting here until nine-thirty.  
I quietly made my way downstairs because mostly everybody else was sleeping. I could hear chatting in the living room, which was to the left of the lobby if you were standing in the front door way. The staircase came down into the lobby and the living room was to the right.  
I peeked around the door and I saw the four most beautiful people I have ever seen. They would all put supermodels to shame.  
The shortest one of the four had black hair in a pixie cut. Her outfit was extremely cute. She was skinny, and she looked like she was maybe my age.  
The tallest person was a male. He had messy, copper-colored hair. I don't think I've seen anyone with that hair color before... He looked seventeen.  
The second male was taller as well. He had light blonde hair. He looked like he would be the father, but he looked too young to be the father of teenagers...  
The two men seemed muscular. Not buff, but... fit, if that's the best word for it.  
The last woman had wavy, caramel-colored hair. She must be the mother, but she too looked too young to be the mother of teenagers. For some reason, she looked like the woman in my dreams.  
There was one thing about all of these people that was different. They were all extremely pale.  
This family looked familiar to me. I don't think I've ever met them, but there is a feeling in my gut that I have. I just probably have a nervous stomach. Yeah, that's it...  
The caramel-haired woman grabbed the blonde-haired man's hand and gave it a squeeze.  
"Oh, there you are Alex!" Ms. Mayweather said cheerfully, turning to look at me. Darn, she blew my cover.  
The four people turned to look at me. Whoa. They all had gold eyes. That's weird...  
"Alex, say hello to the Cullens," Ms. Mayweather said.  
I felt nervous all of the sudden. I gave a slight little wave.  
The blonde man walked towards me. "It is a pleasure to meet you, dear. My name is Carlisle." He held out his hand for me to shake it. I weakly shook it in reply.  
The caramel-haired woman walked over next and shook my hand. "My name is Esme. It is so nice to meet you."  
The short girl gracefully walked over. "I'm Alice!" she said, shaking my hand.  
"I am Edward," the copper-haired boy said. He didn't shake my hand. I was kind of glad for that.  
I also noticed that their hands were all extremely cold. I wasn't cold though... Did Ms. Mayweather have the AC up too high for them?  
"I am terribly sorry," Carlisle said. "Did we make you uncomfortable with the hand shaking?"  
I shook my head. "N-no," I said quietly.  
"Well, why don't you five come into the conference room and chat for a little while, hmm?" Ms. Mayweather asked. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. This is the part I was nervous about.  
"C'mon!" Alice said kindly. "We don't bite!" She grabbed my hand and started walking behind Ms. Mayweather.  
"Alice..." Esme muttered quietly.  
"Please let me apologize in advance for Alice," Carlisle said. "She gets very excited."  
"She's okay..." I said quietly. "She's... nice."  
"Aww, shucks!" she said. "I like you already!"  
I sat down at one end of the table in the conference room and Alice, Edward, Esme, and Carlisle sat down at the other.  
"So..." Ms. Mayweather began. "I'll let you guys talk to each other in here for a while, and you can come out when you are done."  
As she walked to the door, she stopped. "Behave," she whispered in my ear. I nodded once, then she left.  
"So, Alex," Carlisle began. "How about we get to know you a little bit?"  
I nodded once.  
"When is your birthday?" he asked.  
"J-July 18th," I said quietly.  
"And how old are you Alex? Sixteen?" Alice asked.  
I nodded again.  
"Do you have any hobbies?" Esme asked.  
I somehow was able to find my voice when she asked me a question. "I-I like to draw."  
"Really?" she asked. "What do you like to draw?"  
"Flowers," I said.  
"Very nice," she replied. "Let me ask you a question: What is your favorite flower?"  
"A white rose."  
She smiled. "My daughter Rosalie loves white roses."  
"H-how many other children do you have... I-if you don't mind me asking?" I said.  
"I don't mind at all. You see, Carlisle and I have adopted children, teenagers like you. Edward and Alice here are siblings. They also have a brother, Emmett. Rosalie and Jasper are twins. We also have Bella and Parker, who are siblings."  
"Y-You have seven other teenagers?" I asked.  
Carlisle smiled. "We do. I am sure that they would love to meet you."  
"Really?" I asked.  
"Really," Carlisle replied.  
I looked at Alice. "How old are you?" I asked.  
She smiled. "I just turned sixteen. Quiet old Edward over here turned seventeen in June."  
I just nodded in response.  
"Alex, let me just say that I adore your top," Alice said. "Is that white rose on there part of the top?"  
I shook my head.  
"Oh, so it's a pin?" she questioned.  
I nodded.  
"Very nice," she murmured. "I must say, you have a keen fashion sense."  
"Y-You think so?" I asked quietly.  
"Yeah. If I do say so myself, I also have a very good fashion sense," she said.  
"Y-you seem like the person who would," I said truthfully. She laughed and smiled.  
"Alice is the fashion guru in the house," Esme said.  
I looked over at Edward. I wonder what his hobbies are...  
"If you are wondering what I like to do," Edward said, "I like to play the piano."  
Whoa. How did he know that's what I was thinking? I guess it was my face...  
Carlisle looked at Edward. They were silent for a moment.  
"Well, Alex," Carlisle said, looking back at me. "I think we are all done here. Are you?"  
I nodded.  
"It was really nice meeting you!" Alice sat, getting up and patting me on the shoulder.  
I walked out with them. This family was really nice, and Alice is...  
No, stop. I can't get too attached to these people. What happens if the don't adopt me? But I really want them to...  
It was still bothering me how familiar these people looked. After talking to them, I just know that I've never met them. But why does it feel like I have?  
Esme and Carlisle went into Ms. Mayweather's office with her and shut the door, leaving me with Alice and Edward.  
"I'll be in the car," Edward said, then he went through the front doors and left.  
Does he not like me?  
"Ah, don't worry about Eddie," Alice said. "He's more of the quiet type. He often gets deep into thought. That's probably why he went out to the car."  
I nodded. I guess that makes sense.  
"Now, if you don't mind me asking," Alice said. "May I see your room?"  
I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was ten o'clock. Beth had already left to hang out with Cris for the rest of the day.  
"Sure, I-I guess so," I said. "It's nothing fancy."  
"That's alright. Lead the way!" she said, gesturing with her hands.  
I walked up to the third floor of the building, where my room was. Since we are older, Beth and I have a back room with a door that shuts. The walls are a dull gray.  
There are just two beds. They have white sheets, white pillows, and grey comforters. Beth and I thought the room was really boring, so we would always (and still do) decorate the walls with drawings, pictures, and things.  
We both have trunks that we keep some of our special belongings in. There is one closet in the room that Beth and I split. We hung a bright orange string to divide it. We both don't have that much clothing, so the closet is the perfect size.  
One window is in the room. It has white curtains and when you look out of it, you can see the front driveway of the foster home and part of the town. It was a nice view. Beth and I liked to look out the window and watch over everything.  
It made us feel powerful.  
Alice immediately went to the closet, which wasn't surprising.  
"Uh, my clothes aren't as... pretty as yours, Alice," I said to her. "I don't have that much money, but I do get some by helping out the elderly in town by... you know, cutting their grass and getting their groceries. Ms. Mayweather takes kids to The Mall of Prince Georges sometimes, and that's where I get my clothes. I can only afford clothes from JcPenney and Old Navy..."  
She turned around and looked at me. I was shocked with myself. I never usually talk this much to anyone but Beth.  
"I'm not judging you, Alex," she said kindly. "I'm just curious to see what you have, that's all."  
I nodded in response.  
"Please don't stop talking," she said quietly. "I haven't heard your voice in-"  
She stopped talking and went back to rummaging through my closet.  
"The orange string divides my side and Beth's side," I told her.  
She pulled out my favorite dress, an Olsenboye 2Fer Print dress. It looked like a dress over a white t-shirt, but it's only one piece. The bottom ruffle piece was light blue with a small dot pattern. The middle section, up to the waist, was blue and white with flowers. There was a brown belt, then the top part was the same blue with the small dot pattern.  
"That was kind of a... splurge, I guess. It cost me twenty-five dollars, and..."  
I stopped. I probably sounded pitiful to her.  
"It's very cute," she said.  
I was surprised. "Thanks."  
She put the dress back and closed my closet. Her gaze fell upon the wall where I hang my drawings. She walked over to the wall and put her hand on a drawing of a vase filled with white roses.  
"That's my favorite drawing that I've ever done," I said. "I've never seen the vase before. I don't even know if it exists. The idea just kinda popped into my head one day, and I drew it."  
Alice put her hand over her mouth.  
"I-Is something wrong?" I asked quietly.  
"N-nothing is wrong," she said. "I just really like your picture..."  
"Alice!" Carlisle called from downstairs. Alice walked out of my room and I followed her. Carlisle, Esme, and Ms. Mayweather were standing in the lobby.  
"Where is your brother?" Esme asked.  
"He went out to the car a little while ago," Alice said.  
"Oh... Very well then," Carlisle said. He then turned and looked at me. "Alex, we will be seeing you tomorrow at ten a.m."  
"W-what do you mean?" I asked hesitantly.  
"Tomorrow, we will be picking you up and you will be coming home with us," Esme said with a smile.  
I smiled a little bit. A real, genuine smile, not a fake one. "R-really?"  
"Really," Esme replied. "Now, I know you don't have a suitcase, so we will bring you one tomorrow."  
"I-I can't believe this," I said. "Thank you so much!"  
They all smiled. Esme and Carlisle started to walk out the door. Alice looked back at me and smiled. Her eyes, however, looked somewhat sad.  
"I really liked your drawings."  
The door shut, and she was gone.  
That night, my dream was very different. The caramel-haired woman that came out of the misty woods was Esme, and she was not alone. Carlisle, Edward, and Alice walked out with her. They all knelt down in front of me.  
Esme spoke, and I realized she looked identical to the caramel-haired woman. What she said gave me chills.  
"Alex... We missed you..." 

**-oOo-**

**That chapter was kinda long, I guess... Hope you liked it! Please leave me a review!  
The next update should help you if you are confused...**


	3. Eye Opening

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Surprise! This little chappie is from Esme's POV. I don't know if this will happen again, so enjoy it while it lasts!  
I'm also scared of Dominique Weasley because I'm CONVINCED that she's psychic... ;)**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 3  
-oOo-**

**August 2nd, 2011  
**

After two years of searching, we had finally found Alex and we were able to take her home.  
If only she remembered it was her home.  
When that vampire abducted her that November afternoon, he got away. He was cunning and obviously had the kidnapping planned.  
The trees that his "assistants" knocked down in front of our path blocked us. They were so large that it delayed us for just seconds.  
In those few seconds, he got away with her.  
After we had lost the trail, I myself lost it. Why did she have to be taken away again? A poor, innocent girl who hasn't done anything to harm anyone.  
We could not figure out where the vampire had taken her. He must have had some ability to block himself from Alice's visions. All of the others helping him were vampires. No hybrids. Maybe some other vampire was protecting him.  
We didn't know what he did with Alex.  
Until now.  
Carlisle, Alice, and I made our way back to the car. Edward was sitting in the passenger. Alice and I moved into the back seat while Carlisle got into the driver's seat.  
We shut the doors and Alice started bawling the dry sobs of a vampire. I don't think I've ever seen her break down.  
"Oh, Esme!" she wailed. "She doesn't remember us! W-what did that vampire do to her?"  
"I wish I knew," I said to her. "She pierced her nose and dyed a streak in her hair. The happy glow that was evident in her eyes is no longer there. I wish I knew what happened to the Alex we used to know."  
Alice laid her head on my shoulder as she kept sobbing. I, too, was on the verge of breaking down.  
"Did he erase her memory or something?" she asked.  
"It is possible," Carlisle said. "Although I have never even heard of the power to tamper with memories. Who knows? That power could exist, even right under our noses..."  
"She thinks we look familiar," Edward said quietly.  
"What?" Alice and I said at the same time.  
"She thinks we look familiar. I was so quiet the whole time we were there because I was reading her thoughts. She keep thinking that she was sure she didn't know us, but deep down she feels like she does."  
"She remembers the vase..." Alice said quietly.  
"What was that, Alice?" I asked.  
"Remember how Alex would always draw the vase on the dining room table?" she asked me.  
I nodded.  
"One of the times she drew it, it had white roses in it, right?" she questioned.  
"Yes, it did," Carlisle said. "The picture is in a drawer in my desk."  
"It's an identical drawing!" Alice exclaimed, then burst into sobs again. "S-she said to me 'That's my favorite drawing that I've ever done... I've never seen the vase before. I don't even know if it exists. The idea just kinda popped into my head one day, and I drew it'. H-how can the idea of the vase just pop into her head?"  
"I do not know," Carlisle said. "But I promise you ladies that we WILL find out what has happened to her memory. I am also wondering how she got here, to this town, all the way on the other side of the country..."  
"Do you think that vampire brought her here?" I asked tentatively.  
"It is possible," Carlisle said. "However, if Alex does not get her memory back, we may never know."  
"I just cannot imagine... Her memory, gone forever..." I said, trailing off.  
"The vase...That makes sense..." Edward murmured.  
"What makes sense? What about the vase?" Alice mumbled.  
"There's one detail that I left out," he said.  
"What detail?" I asked.  
"The vase isn't the only piece of a memory that seems to be swimming in her brain," Edward said. He took a deep breath. "Esme... Alex has been having dreams about you."  
"What?" I asked. "She has been having dreams... About me?"  
"Yes, ever since she's been in this foster home... Which could also be when she potentially had her memory erased.  
"She is sitting on the ground in a forest. Almost every dream, a 'caramel-haired woman' has come out of the mist. Usually, the woman would walk towards her, stretch her arm out towards Alex, and then Alex would wake up. However, the night before we came, her dream was different. The 'caramel-haired woman' still came out of the mist and walked towards her. This time, though, the woman knelt down in front of Alex and whispered, 'Alex... I missed you...' very quietly. Then today, Alex saw you Esme, and thought you looked just like the woman in her dream."  
I smiled. "So, in a way, she does remember me?"  
"It seems that she has small fragments of memory that occasionally drift through her mind," Carlisle said. "I would like to see how she acts when she comes back..."  
"Are we going to stay in Astoria?" Alice asked.  
"For the time being..." Carlisle said. "You all have been able to keep the charade up in school for two years. Edward, Parker, and Jasper are going to be seniors while you and Alex should be juniors. Now, about our planned excuse. Why is Alex gone?"  
"Alex had a mental breakdown over Thanksgiving break of two-thousand nine and was submitted to a special school in England. She was only allowed to contact family to ensure that she recovers," Alice said.  
"Yes, that would be correct," Carlisle said.  
"Are we just going to keep the secrets about her past from her?" Alice questioned.  
"For now, yes," Carlisle told her. "It would not be fair to bombard her with information so soon. She thinks she barely knows us, so she will not trust us as much."  
"So that means no telling her we are vampires?" Alice asked.  
"Yes. It will be for the best," Carlisle said.  
Alice sighed. I looked over at her.  
"Things will get better," I said to her.  
She slightly nodded and gave me a sad smile. "I guess so... At least she will be back with us. That's a start..." 

****

-oOo-

****

This chapter was kinda short, but whatever. Please leave me a review!  
I know I just updated a few days ago but I have midterms this week and I probably won't be able to update until Friday afternoon at the earliest.  



	4. Leaving

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Yay! I was able to update EARLIER than expected!  
We're back to Alex's POV. Enjoy!**

_**  
Their Girl?  
Chapter 4  
-oOo-**_

**August 3rd, 2011**

I woke up at six in the morning, but how could I help it? I was too excited and anxious to sleep. People wouldn't see I was excited, though. I was going to keep quiet and act as normal.  
I headed downstairs to grab a quick breakfast of my usual English muffin with jelly and a glass of milk.  
Ms. Mayweather was in the lobby when I came down the stairs.  
"You're up very early," she said cheerfully.  
I shrugged in response.  
"Are you excited to be adopted?" she asked.  
I nodded.  
"You don't seem excited. Maybe if you talked-"  
I cut her off. "I am excited."  
She smiled. "I had a feeling you would be. It's nice to hear you talk sometimes. It's a rare but welcome surprise."  
She gave a little wave and walked to her office. I waited until I heard the door shut before I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen.  
When I was done eating, it was only six fifteen. I ate faster then I usually do. Before I knew it, I'd be sitting around for an hour just waiting for the Cullens to arrive. I decided that I would wear my Olsenboye dress because Alice really liked it. I might as well dress to impress. My hair would be up again today so it's out of my face. I would wear my dressier brown flip-flops because they would match the dress. Of course, my little diamond stud would be fastened in my nose.  
After getting ready, it was seven o' clock. I still needed to pack some of my things, so I still had something to preoccupy myself with.  
All I had in the way of bags was my backpack that I used for school. I cleared out all the school stuff I didn't need, like old papers and used notebooks, and threw them away. I ended up keeping a small pencil case with all of my drawing pencils, two good erasers, and a hand-held sharpener inside, one clean composition book, and a folder.  
The backpack luckily had two pouches, so I put all of my drawing stuff in one pouch. In the larger pouch, I put my wallet, a spare change of clothes, one pair of awesome colored socks, my brush, a jacket, three CDs that Cris burned for me, sunglasses, and a back-up toiletries bag with all travel-sized stuff (in case I have to fly somewhere).  
Esme said that they would be bringing me another suitcase, so I could put all of my clothes, few pairs of shoes, and other belongings in it. I didn't have much to take with me, so I don't think space was going to be an issue.  
I quietly walked over to the wall where Beth and I hung all of our stuff. I took my drawings off of the wall, leaving the one of a rose I drew for Beth. We had both bought disposable cameras at one point, so I took the pictures I took with my camera off the wall and laid them on my bed.  
I looked at my drawings and pictures and knowing I didn't want them to get to get ruined, I put them in the front pouch with my drawing supplies.  
Beth let out a little noise, and I froze. I didn't want to wake her up this early. She ended up rolling over so her back was facing me.  
I quietly walked over to the closet and pulled out all of my clothes, laying them in a pile. Should I take the hangars off? No, I probably should wait...  
I looked at my alarm clock. It's only seven-twenty. I groaned internally. What time did Ms. Mayweather say the Cullens were coming?  
I headed downstairs to talk with Ms. Mayweather, but I heard her on the phone.  
"Hello Mr. Cullen!... Yes, yes... You were coming at eight-fifteen you said, right?... Eight?... Oh, to help with loading up the suitcase and putting away bags... That is very kind... Yes, I will let her know... Thank you, Mr. Cullen."  
I smiled to myself. They were coming earlier than planned. Now I only had to wait... forty minutes. I guess that isn't so bad. I could maybe draw for a little bit. Maybe I should wake up Beth, so she won't be in her pajamas when the Cullens come.  
I went back to my room and gently shook Beth.  
"Beth," I murmured. "Beth, wake up."  
She sprung up in bed, causing me to jump.  
"What time is it?" she asked frantically. "Are you leaving?"  
"No," I replied. "It's only seven twenty-five, but the Cullens are coming earlier then expected. I just wanted to warn you."  
She rubbed her eyes and climbed out of bed. "Well, let me get dressed and get something to eat. I want to meet the Cullens, but not in my pajamas!"  
We both laughed. 

-oOo- 

The grandfather clock in the living room chimed, signaling that it was eight o' clock. Beth and I jumped off the couch and went to the window. A few minutes passed, but then a black Mercedes pulled up to the building. I squealed, stepped away from the window, and took a deep breath.  
"I don't look too excited, do I?" I asked Beth.  
"No," she replied.  
"Good. Now it's back to being normal and quiet," I said.  
The doorbell rang. I smoothed out my dress and sat down on the couch with Beth while Ms. Mayweather answered the door.  
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Cullen!" she said. "Come in, come in!"  
The door shut and I could hear a suitcase rolling on the wooden floor.  
I casually got off of the couch with Beth and walked into the lobby where we were greeted by Carlisle and Esme.  
"Hello Alex!" Esme said cheerfully. "We brought you a suitcase."  
I looked down at the suitcase, and my eyes widened. The suitcase was Vera Bradley! That must have costed a fortune... I hope they didn't buy it for me. The suitcase has a floral, black and white pattern, which I absolutely loved.  
Esme, reading my face, asked, "Is there something wrong with the suitcase?"  
I shook my head. "N-no," I stammered. "It's... nice."  
"Oh, okay. Good," Esme said. "Do you want to take that upstairs so you can pack your things?"  
I nodded. I was going to ask Beth to help me, but then I realized I didn't introduce her.  
"Umm... This is my friend Beth," I said to Carlisle and Esme.  
"Hello, dear!" Esme said.  
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Carlisle added.  
"Let's go upstairs, Alex," Beth murmured, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the stairs. "I'll help you pack."  
We made it up to the room quickly and Beth shut the door.  
"They are extremely polite," Beth said.  
"Yeah, I noticed that," I replied. "It makes me nervous."  
Beth laughed. "Why, might I ask?"  
"I don't know!" I muttered. "It just seems... familiar, that's all."  
Beth shrugged and helped me take my clothes off the hangers.  
"Do you want to keep the hangers?" Beth asked.  
"Why not," I said. "I'll keep some and let you have some, too."  
"I feel loved," she said with a chuckle. I stuck my tongue out at her and put my clothes in my bag.  
When we were done, I looked at the closet. It seemed odd only having one side filled.  
"Let's head downstairs," Beth said quietly. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and put up the handle on the suitcase.  
"Wait!" Beth shouted, running over to the night stand. She pulled out a Sharpie and an envelope out of the top drawer. Unzipping a small pouch in my backpack, she placed the envelope inside.  
"Don't open that until you get to your new home," she said with a playful smile. She grabbed my backpack and uncapped the Sharpie.  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
"Writing a message on your backpack. Duh!"  
After a few seconds, she chucked the Sharpie on her bed and ran in front of me.  
"Now we can go downstairs," she said with a smile.  
She walked in front of me as I lugged my suitcase down the stairs. Esme, Carlisle, and Ms. Mayweather stood waiting.  
Beth and I came to a stop in the middle of the lobby and looked at each other.  
"Well, I guess this is it," Beth said. There was a slight pause.  
"Do you want me to write you?" I asked.  
She shook her head, giving me a sad smile. "It would just be... too painful."  
I nodded. "That's... That's what I was thinking."  
Beth and I wrapped our arms around each other for a final goodbye hug. I told myself I wouldn't cry, especially in front of the Cullens. I barely know them...  
"I won't forget you," I whispered to Beth.  
"Ditto," Beth said. "See 'ya, babe."  
I unwrapped my arms from her and stepped back.  
"Are you ready, Alex?" Esme asked quietly.  
I looked back at Carlisle and Esme, nodding.  
"Goodbye, Alex," Ms. Mayweather said.  
"Bye," I replied quietly as I followed Carlisle and Esme out the door.  
I shut the door to the Tracey Morgan Foster Home for probably the last time.  
Carlisle opened the trunk and put my suitcase in there. He and Esme got into the front sets of the black Mercedes as I climbed in the back with my backpack.  
"Well, Alex, I do believe this is a start of a new beginning," Esme said, looking back at me. "Are you ready?"  
I gave her a small nod and tried to have a convincing smile.  
As Carlisle drove away, I looked back at the foster home. Only a lone tear ran down my face.  
After driving in silence for a few moments, Esme started to look back at me and I tried to rub away any signs of tears on my face.  
"We have to head back to our hotel to get our bags and then we are headed to BWI airport," Esme said.  
"W-Wait. Do you not live in Maryland?" I asked.  
"No we do not. We live in Astoria, Oregon," Carlisle said. "However, we will be flying into the Seattle airport and driving to Astoria."  
"Okay," I said quietly. "B-but what about Edward and Alice?"  
"Oh, they took a flight back home this morning," Esme said.  
I nodded and then was quiet.  
They didn't even live in Maryland... They lived in Astoria, which was all the way on the other side of the country. Why would they be looking at a foster home in a small town in Maryland? They probably could have gone to a foster home somewhere much closer to their home.  
"Are you okay with flying?" Esme asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.  
"Y-yeah, I guess so. I've... never flown before," I said.  
Carlisle and Esme's hotel wasn't too far from the foster home. It was a nice hotel... Well, for being in a relatively small town. Before I knew it, they had brought their bags out to the car and were climbing in once again.  
"Next stop, the airport!" Esme said excitedly. 

**-oOo-**

**Are you wondering what was in the envelope Beth gave Alex?  
Well... It was something.  
Are you wondering how the rest of the Cullens will react to Alex's homecoming?  
Well... They will react...  
I give NOTHING AWAY! You'll just have to wait for the next update... Bwhahahaha I'm evil! ;D**


	5. Greetings

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Yay, I love snow days! Because it was a snow day, I could get another update in for you.  
It's time to meet the family!  
**

****

_**Their Girl?  
Chapter 5  
-oOo-**_****

August 3rd, 2011 

The flight was pretty... uneventful. The plane wasn't very crowded. It was an early flight, so maybe that explained it. Esme asked me so many things it felt like we were playing 20 Questions.

Esme: "So...What is your favorite food?"  
Me: "I don't really have a favorite."  
Esme: "That is nice. Not a picky eater. So... What is your favorite color?"  
Me: "I like lavender, hot pink, and baby blue. I have more than one favorite."  
Esme: "Many people do... What is your favorite video game?"

It went on like that for mostly the whole flight. Either I was sleeping or being asked questions. I enjoyed sleeping. It wasn't that I didn't like Esme, it was just that talking wasn't my favorite activity... unless it was with Beth.  
Beth.  
Oh god, I'm going to miss her so much. I'm so happy that she has Cris. He will be there for her. They can laugh together, hang out together, talk to each other. In a way, I am jealous of him. I won't be there for Beth anymore, but he still gets to be with her. I am being adopted though, so it's not all bad.  
Carlisle, Esme, and I landed in Seattle at nine forty-five pacific time. Since I slept on the plane, I don't think the time change will affect me that much.  
My suitcase took a while to arrive at the baggage claim. After we had gotten our bags, we made our way towards the exits. There was a curb where cars could pull up and pick people up. I saw Edward standing by a shiny silver Volvo. He gave us a slight wave then opened the trunk.  
I rolled my suitcase along with me as we made our way over to the car. My backpack was slung on my shoulders.  
"Let me help you, dear," Carlisle said, taking my suitcase in his hands and placing it in the trunk.  
"Thanks," I said quietly.  
"I will be sitting in the back seat with you," Esme stated. "Is that okay?"  
I nodded. As long as there wasn't another quiz session, it should be fine. Oh, who am I kidding? Although I didn't show it, I kind of liked the attention. It made me feel like someone cared. Esme just seemed like a person that would.  
I climbed in on the passenger's side and buckled up.  
"The drive is going to be a few hours," Edward said. "Just warning you."  
Here we go. 

-oOo- 

The silver Volvo pulled into a private drive at about twelve-thirty in the afternoon. The small road seemed to lead into the forest. All that surrounded us as we drove along were trees.  
It was drizzling in Astoria. I think Esme had mentioned that it was constantly cloudy here, with the occasional day or two of sun. It was very different from summer in Maryland, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.  
As we drove a little further into the forest, we came upon a large house. The house was absolutely stunning! There were very large windows in the front, which made the house seem so open. The exterior was white and everything just took my breath away. There seemed to be three floors, but I wasn't sure.  
"Do you like the house?" Esme asked me, taking a glimpse at my face.  
"It's... It's... Wow," I stuttered.  
Esme laughed. "I hoped you would like it. I designed most of it myself."  
I looked at her. "You designed this?"  
"Yes, yes I did. I am quite into architecture, and this was a fun project to complete."  
"You're... You're really talented," I murmured.  
"Well thank you," she said with a smile. "Now, how about we grab your suitcase so I can show you the rest of the house and introduce you to the family?"  
I swallowed the lump in my throat. The rest of the family. What if they didn't like me? I was coming into their world. They all have known each other for a while.  
"Do not be nervous," Esme said, sensing my mood. "I know that they will love you."  
I climbed out of the car and saw Alice walk out the front door.  
"Hi Alex!" she said cheerfully, walking over to me.  
"Hi Alice," I said quietly.  
"Was your plane ride okay?" she asked me as she walked over to the trunk and grabbed my suitcase for me.  
"Thanks," I said as she placed my suitcase at my feet, "And yes, the plane ride was alright."  
"Good, good," she murmured. "Well, let's head inside, shall we?"  
I gave a slight nod as I followed behind her. Carlisle, Esme, and Edward had already gotten their bags and headed inside the house. When I walked in with Alice, the first thing I saw was a giant white couch. This must be the living room... There was a coffee table sitting in front of the couch, and a larger flat screen television sat against the wall. A Rockband drum set sat next to the television. Cris had one just like it at his house. I played Rockband with him and Beth when I went to his house one time.  
"You must be Alex," a female voice said. I turned and I saw the most beautiful person ever. She looked like one of the women you would see winning a beauty pageant or modeling on the cover of a top fashion magazine. She had long, blonde, wavy hair that went down to the middle of her back. Her skin was pale and her eyes... were also gold! Everyone in this family seemed to be pale with gold eyes. That's strange, considering they all aren't blood related.  
"Y-yes," I replied, looking down at my feet. Being around all this beauty made me feel... mediocre.  
"Hi, I'm Rosalie," she said, holding out her hand. I shook it timidly.  
"H-hi," I said.  
I could hear loud footsteps and a huge guy came into the room. He looked like a wrestler! He had short brown hair and extremely large muscles. His skin was pale and his eyes were gold, too.  
"What's up? I'm Emmett," he said. When he smiled, you could see his dimples.  
"Hi," I said, giving a little wave.  
Two more people walked into the room. The male was somewhat skinny, with pale skin, gold eyes, and curly blonde hair. The other was a female. She was pale with gold eyes, but she had long, flowing brown hair.  
"Hello Alex," she murmured. "I'm Bella, and this is Jasper." She gestured towards the blonde boy.  
I heard a door slam. "Is she here yet?" a female voice called out.  
A girl with curly bronze hair walked into the room. She looked about fourteen, and she had dark brown eyes and darker skin then everyone else, but not by much. Her eyes stood out amongst the gold.  
"Hey!" she said. "Nice to meet you! I'm Nessie, B-Bella's... friend."  
"Alex," I said as an introduction.  
I looked around at everyone, and I had to admit that I was a little overwhelmed. I've never been introduced to so many people at one time.  
"Alright, everyone. Give Alex some space," Esme called out. She walked through the crowd and stood next to me.  
"I hate to overwhelm you, dear, but there is one more person you still need to meet," she whispered in my ear.  
"Sorry I'm a little late," a male's voice said. A boy walked into the room, and I had to use all of my force to not let my jaw drop.  
This boy was gorgeous.  
He had long-ish brown hair that almost went into his eyes, but not quite. His eyes were gold like everyone else's but Nessie's, however they seemed to glow brighter to me.  
I looked down at my feet and tried not to blush. This must be Parker. I can't look at him like that. He is my brother after all. Well, not by blood...  
"Hello, angel. You must be Alex," he said with the dreamy voice of his, taking me out of my thoughts.  
"Y-yes," I stammered. "Hi. Are you... Parker?"  
He smiled. "Yep. Did you use process of elimination to get my name?"  
I smiled a little bit and nodded.  
"Well, I don't care. It's very nice to meet you," he said.  
"It's nice to meet you, too," I said.  
"Alright, Alex," Esme said. "How about I show you to your room?"  
I nodded, then followed her up the stairs to the second floor. I thought I heard someone sigh and say "I told you so."  
Esme opened a door and led me into a room.  
The room was absolutely huge! The room seemed to have a purple and black theme. The headboard of my bed was black but had a purple comforter, purple sheets, and purple pillows. The walls were lavender colored. A black futon sat at the wall next to the door, on the right. The bed was directly across from it at the far wall. By the right wall was a black desk with a closed silver MacBook sitting on it. It looked like the brand new one I just saw advertised on TV.  
"I hope you like the MacBook," Esme said. "It is the newest model, so it should run very fast and have the latest software."  
"You... You didn't have to get me a laptop. You didn't have to get me all of this furniture, either. A bed would have been enough."  
"Nonsense!" Esme shouted. "You deserve all of this. There is even more..."  
She walked over to a door and opened it. I peered inside and it was a giant walk-in closet! An empty closet, but a huge closet none the less.  
"This closet is huge," I murmured as I walked inside and turned on the light.  
"I hope it is big enough," Esme said.  
I couldn't help but laugh. "I came from a place where my closet was probably the size of the futon out there and you ask me if this closet is big enough? Of course it is! I could get lost in here..."  
"There is one last door," Esme told me.  
I looked to my right and, sure enough, there was another door. Did this one lead to a magic land or something?  
It wasn't a magical land, but a beautiful bathroom.  
A bathroom. My own personal bathroom.  
There was a large Jacuzzi bathtub in the corner. There was one sink with a lot of counter space. A large mirror covered the space. Next to the door on the right was a big shower and, of course, the toilet.  
"My own bathroom," I muttered. "Do I really have my own bathroom?"  
"Yes. It is all yours," Esme said.  
"This... This is amazing. Thank you. This means so much to me," I said, looking down at my feet.  
"Good, I am glad you like it," Esme said. "Do you like the design of the room? The layout of the furniture and the colors? It doesn't look too boring or... familiar, does it?"  
"No, it couldn't possibly be boring or familiar," I said with a smile. "It's perfect. I wouldn't change a thing."  
Esme smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Good, good..."  
"Are... are you okay?" I asked her.  
The sadness was gone from her eyes in a flash. "Of course! I am so happy that you love everything."  
There was something bothering Esme. What it was, I did not know. I did know that she was hiding something from me, though... 

-oOo- 

I slowly opened my eyes and I was in a comfortable bed with purple sheets and comforter.  
It wasn't a dream.  
After Esme showed me my room, she took me downstairs and made me a sandwich for lunch. I asked why she didn't make one for herself, but she said she wasn't hungry. I left it at that.  
After I ate, Alice helped me unpack my suitcase and organized the few pieces of clothes I had I my closet. The few articles made the closet seem even larger. It was... depressing.  
"I need to take you shopping. This is a fashion emergency," she had told me.  
"M-my clothes are pitiful," I said with a sigh.  
"That isn't it, exactly," she said. "You just need more... more options, more styles, more designs. This closets needs to be filled with the latest shirts, skirts, shoes, and every other item of clothing imaginable!"  
"That would be nice," I muttered.  
"How about you, Esme, Rosalie, and I go on a shopping spree tomorrow?" Alice asked.  
"Oh, no... That's not necessary... I really don't want you to spend too much money on me..." I trailed off.  
"Don't think like that!" Alice said. "You need and deserve some fabulous fashions! I'll cover the clothes, and Rosalie will cover the beauty products."  
"Should I be scared?" I asked with a small smile.  
She smiled back. "Very."  
Now I looked over at my clock and it was two-ten in the morning. Why must I wake up so early?  
I hadn't even had my usual dream yet.  
It might take me a while, but I'll fall back asleep eventually. I closed my eyes, but I could hear muffled chatter out in the hall. My door slowly creaked open, so I tried to keep my breathing slow and my eyes closed.  
"Is she asleep?" I heard Rosalie ask someone quietly.  
"Yes, it sounds like it," Esme replied, barely above a whisper.  
"I... I just can't believe everything that's happened," Rosalie said. "She doesn't remember a thing. We may never know what happened-"  
"We are going to figure it out," Esme interrupted her.  
Someone moved a lock of my hair behind my ear.  
"She's still just as beautiful," Rosalie murmured. "I just... I just wish..."  
Rosalie stopped talking.  
"How about we head downstairs before everyone gets back?" Esme asked her.  
"It's strange having an empty house," Rosalie said as I heard them walk towards the door.  
"Oh, it is not truly empty," Esme murmured as the door shut.  
I waited a few painfully long minutes before I sat up. She doesn't remember...We may never know what happened... What is that supposed to mean? I pinched my arm. No, I'm not dreaming.  
Esme is definitely keeping something from me, but how big could this secret be?  
Wait... secret... Beth's letter!  
I quietly got out of bed and flipped on the lights. My backpack was sitting next to the futon. I ran over, unzipped the pouch, and pulled out the envelope. My name was written on the front. I tore it opened and pulled out a letter. 

_Dear Alex~  
If you are reading this, then that means... I gave it to you. But seriously, if you're reading this then you've been adopted, and I'm really, really happy for you!  
Let me just say that you were my first friend. Ever. I never was a popular person, and nobody wanted to hang out with "the foster home girl". My life was pretty dark before you came around, which you know was before Cris.  
This is something I haven't told you, let alone anyone, because I didn't have the courage. The day you came to the foster home, I was feeling depressed. That night, I was planning on killing myself.  
But you changed that.  
You went out of your way and said hi to me that day. We started chatting, and I realized how alike we were. We were both girls that had been in foster homes all of our lives, never knowing our real families.  
I was happy you never put anything in the top drawer of our nightstand that day. If you would have, you would've discovered the countless containers of pills I had hidden. I was planning on taking every single pill that night. I was so desperate for my life to end, feeling like I had nothing to live for.  
You saved me, Alex.  
You are my best friend, and always will be. I will miss you so much, but I won't do anything... desperate. For one, I have Cris, too. Second of all, I know that if anything happened to me, you would be devastated, and I don't mean for that to sound self-centered. I will be content as I am now, because I know you're still out there.  
Your best friend for all of eternity,  
Beth  
_

I placed the letter on my lap and cried. I never knew that I actually saved her life.  
I never knew that she was going try to kill herself.  
I wrapped my arms around my knees and tried to cry as silently as I could. It didn't work, though, because Esme came in my room moments later.  
"Alex, is everything alright?" she asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"  
I shook my head. "I-I'm f-fine," I lied.  
"You do not seem fine," she pointed out. She walked over and sat next to me on the bed. "What is the matter?"  
I slowly handed her the letter. She read it over then placed it on my nightstand.  
"Oh, Alex," she said, moving a strand of my hair behind my ear. "She sounds like a very special friend."  
"She is," I whispered. "I really miss her."  
Esme wrapped her arms around me hesitantly, like she was waiting to see how I would react. I honestly didn't mind. For some reason, it felt right to be in her arms. I felt safe.  
"She will always be in your heart," she murmured.  
I ended up falling asleep in Esme's arms. The letter almost made me forget about the fact that Esme was keeping something from me.  
Almost. 

**-oOo-**

**Pretty please, can you leave me a review?  
As you can tell, everyone is devastated that Alex lost her memory (well, except for Alex herself because she doesn't know she lost her memory). If you pay close attention, they are all trying to trigger her memory. Her bedroom is exactly the same as it was before she was abducted: same colors, same furniture. The only thing that is different is the empty closet and the new MacBook. ;)  
As the story continues, everyone is going to keep up with their quest to gain back her memory. The question is...  
Will it work?  
**


	6. Big Apple

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I just made a guess as to what the room number would be... Oops, I'm giving too much away! ;)**

**  
**_**Their Girl?**_**  
Chapter 6  
-oOo-**

August 4th, 2011

"Alex, Alex, wake up!" Alice shouted, shaking me out of sleep.  
"What time is it?" I groaned.  
"Sixty-forty! C'mon, get up!" she said, shaking me again.  
"Why do I need to get up?" I asked.  
"We're going shopping!"  
"At six-forty in the morning?"  
Alice sighed. "No, but our flight is at ten!"  
"W-why are we taking a flight?" I questioned.  
"We're going to... New York City!" she squealed excitedly.  
I sprung up in bed. "N-New York City?"  
"That got you up. Now get dressed, get ready, and pack an overnight bag! Esme is making breakfast, so come down when you're ready," Alice said, walking out my door.  
New York City? Was she kidding? I've always wanted to go to New York City and shop. I just never had the money to buy anything or even get there, for that matter.  
I threw on a denim skirt that I got from Old Navy, a nice flowing top, and my tan flip-flops. Today I decided that I would leave my hair down, so I brushed it until it was smooth and wavy. I fastened my diamond stud in my nose, then grabbed the Vera Bradley suitcase Esme let me borrow and threw my toiletries, a change of clothes, and my drawing supplies inside. I looked over at my nightstand. Beth's letter was still sitting on top of it.  
I brought my suitcase downstairs with me and set it near the door. The smell of cinnamon was drifting out of the kitchen, drawing me in there. Esme was all dressed, cleaning bowls in the sink.  
"Good morning, Alex!" Esme said cheerfully. "Were you able to stay asleep?"  
"Y-yes, I was. Sorry if I woke you with my, uh, crying," I said. I knew she wasn't asleep at the time, though. She had been in my room minutes before.  
"No, no, it's fine," she said, scrubbing a large bowl with a sponge.  
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you making?" I questioned. "I-it smells really good."  
"Thank you! I'm making homemade cinnamon rolls." She paused. "Have you ever had them before?"  
"Well, I bought one at Cinnabon one time, but I don't think it was homemade..." I told her.  
"Hopefully these will taste a little bit better," she said with a chuckle. The oven timer went off, and Esme took a pan out of the oven. I walked over to take a closer peek. They looked... delicious. She grabbed a small container full of icing and spread it on top of the rolls in a few fluid motions.  
"You're a natural," I said.  
"Aww, thank you!" she replied with a huge smile.  
After a few seconds, she took one off the pan, put it on a plate, and set it down in front of me on the island.  
"Would you like a glass of milk?" she asked.  
"Y-yes please," I said. She poured a glass of milk and set it next to the plate.  
"Go ahead," she said, gesturing to the cinnamon roll. "Try some."  
I took a small bite. The cinnamon and the icing together were extremely sweet. After I swallowed the bite I took, I said to Esme, "These are amazing!"  
"Good, I am glad you think so," she replied. "Go ahead and have as many as you would like."  
She walked out of the kitchen and I could hear her go up the stairs. I wondered why she didn't grab a cinnamon roll, but I think it would be polite _not_ to ask.  
After I ate two cinnamon rolls, I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Esme, Alice, and Rosalie had already brought down their suitcases.  
"Are you ready to go, Alex?" Rosalie asked. "It's a three hour drive to Seattle and our flight is at ten."  
"Yes, I'm ready," I told her, grabbing my suitcase.  
"Alright!" Alice cheered. "Let's all go to New York!" 

-oOo- 

We landed in La Guardia airport at about five in the evening, eastern time. This is the time zone I'm used to.  
Alice called for a taxi to pick the four of us up, and we put our suitcases into the trunk. Alice sat in the front seat while Esme, Rosalie, and I sat in the back seat. I got a window seat, and I was very glad.  
"Vhere are ju ladies headed?" the taxi driver asked with a thick accent of some kind. That's what I wanted to know, too. I asked Alice what hotel we would be stay at, and she refused to tell me, say it was a secret. I'm getting really sick of secrets.  
Alice handed him a slip of paper, which I was guessing had the address of the hotel.  
"Got it," he said, then he drove off.  
We got stuck in traffic at one point, but I didn't care. New York City was amazing. The buildings towered over everything. The roads were seas of cars, buses, and taxis. Huge posters hung on the side of buildings, advertising for movies and plays. The sidewalks were lined with people of all kinds. I just stared out the window in awe.  
"You have never been here, have you?" Esme whispered in my ear.  
"It's me you're talking to," I replied.  
After a while of driving, we turned onto East 55th street at Fifth Avenue. Esme covered my eyes with one of her hands.  
"Please tell me where we are going!" I sighed.  
"Ladies," the taxi driver said. "Vhelcome to da St. Regis hotel."  
I gasped as Esme took her hand off of my eyes. The St. Regis hotel?  
"Surprise!" Alice giggled.  
We all climbed out of the taxi as Alice paid the driver and grabbed our bags. I couldn't help but stare at the hotel in awe.  
"Let's go check in!" Alice said excitedly.  
We walked up to the golden front doors and went inside. The lobby was exquisite! Everything was so elegant. There was a lot of the color gold in the lobby. The front desk was near the gold-colored elevators. There were many fancy armchairs on top of a decorated floor.  
Alice led us to the front desk.  
"Hello ma'am," the worker said. "What can I do for you this fine evening?"  
"I'm checking in under Cullen. We have four in our group and I believed I booked a Fifth Avenue Suite," she said to him.  
A Fifth Avenue suite? That sounded fancy... and expensive.  
The man at the desk tapped away on his computer. "Ah, yes. We have you in room 800 on the eighth floor. One of our butlers, Richard, will take your bags."  
A man in a fancy suit came over with a luggage cart and grabbed Esme, Alice, and Rosalie's suitcases.  
"Thank you," I said to him as he took my bag and put it on the cart.  
"You are quite welcome, miss," he replied. Richard pushed the cart over to the waiting elevator and Esme, Alice, Rosalie, and I followed behind. The elevator made a ding for every floor until we reached the eighth. Richard led us down a hallway to a corner room, room 800.  
"Here you are, ladies," he said, opening the door with a key card. He rolled the luggage cart down a hallway and made a left. It led into a beautiful living room. I gasped. The walls and the curtains were a tan color. There were two large windows that I think opened and led to balconies. I really hoped one of the balconies overlooked Fifth Avenue... There were a lot of comfortable looking chairs, a couch, a small desk, a table, and a gorgeous chandelier with many crystals that hung from the ceiling. In the corner was a small kitchenette.  
"There are two full bathrooms, one by the front door and one connected to the bedroom. The bed in the bedroom is king-sized," Richard said. "If you ladies need anything at all, don't hesitate to contact a butler. Have a nice stay."  
"Thank you," we all said as Richard left.  
I sat down on the sofa in the living room and just looked at everything.  
"Do you like the room?" Alice asked me.  
"It's so beautiful," I murmured.  
"Well, we will only be here for about twenty more minutes. I scheduled an appointment for the four of us to get our nails done at the Remede Spa here in the hotel!" Alice said. "Now, go get your belongings and get freshened up!" 

-oOo- 

At six o' clock, Esme, Alice, Rosalie and I stepped foot into the Remede Spa. I've never gotten my nails done professionally, so I was really excited.  
"Welcome to the Remede Spa," a woman said as we entered the spa. "Please remember that cell phone use is prohibited."  
"We have a nail appointment scheduled at six under Cullen," Alice said as we approached the check-in desk.  
"Ah yes," the lady at the desk said. "You're right on time."  
Four nail specialists came out into the waiting room and led us to chairs where I assumed we were getting our toenails painted. The four of us sat in the chairs and the woman who would be doing my nails pressed some buttons. The chair came to life and started massaging me. I was shown a variety of nail polish colors, but I chose a hot pink.  
Esme, Alice, and Rosalie didn't have their massage chairs on. I guess they just didn't want them.  
"If you don't mind, the three of us just want our nails painted, not clipped," Alice said, gesturing to herself, Rosalie, and Esme.  
I just sat still in my chair as I got my pedicure. It was very relaxing, and before I knew it, it was done. The woman delicately slid my flip-flops onto my feet and pointed to special tables where Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were already seated.  
"What color did you chose?" Esme asked, taking a look at my toes as I sat down next to her.  
"Hot pink," I replied. "How about you?"  
"A very light pink," she said. I looked at her toes and the pink was so light, it was almost white.  
"Pretty," I said as my nail specialist sat down across from with the bottle of hot pink nail polish in hand.  
"Place you hands flat on the table," she said, and I did as I was told.  
After a little while, my usually dull nails were bright and full of color.  
"That color suits you," Rosalie said to me. I blushed and smiled.  
After Alice paid for our manicures and pedicures, we headed to the elevators and back to our rooms. It was seven p.m., and I was getting hungry. When we were all together in the living room, my stomach growled embarrassingly loud.  
"Sounds like someone is hungry," Esme said. She walked over to the table and picked up a menu. "Want to order room service?"  
I nodded, then walked over to her to look at the menu. Spaghetti and meatballs was the first thing I saw, and it sounded pretty darn good.  
"Can I get a small order of spaghetti and meatballs?" I asked her. "With a soda?"  
"Sounds good. I will place the order," she said. She walked over, picked up the fancy phone, and dialed the number on the menu.  
"Hello, I would like to order room service... Room 800... Can I get a small order of spaghetti and meatballs, a regular soda, and, um, three Caesar salads?... You can charge it to the room... Yes, thank you!"  
I sighed as Esme hung up the phone.  
"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked.  
"I... I feel like such a pig, getting spaghetti while you three get Caesar salads," I muttered.  
"Ah, we don't care what you eat! Besides, it looks to me that your metabolism has nothing against you," Alice said. I giggled, remembering that I was pretty skinny...  
"Caesar salad is easier for us to get down..." Rosalie murmured.  
Alice gave her a death glare.  
"Because of our acid reflux!" Rosalie blurted out.  
"Oh, you three have acid reflux? I'm sorry to hear that," I said.  
"Yes... All three of us," Esme said, looking over at Rosalie, who was playing with a ring she was wearing.  
"Well..." I said, walking towards the bedroom. "I'm going to the bathroom before the food comes."  
After using the bathroom, it dawned on me that we had one bedroom. Only one bed. Sure, it was a king size bed, but still.  
I grabbed my sketchpad, a pencil, and an eraser, then headed back into the living room.  
"Esme, we only have one bed," I said as I sat down on the couch. "Where is everyone going to sleep?"  
"Well, one of us can share the bed with you. We go to sleep later then you anyway... Probably wake up earlier, too," she said.  
"That leaves two others," I pointed out.  
"Two of us can sleep in here. One on the couch and somebody in the armchair with the ottoman pulled up. No big deal," Rosalie said.  
"Okay, one of the nights we're here, I sleep on the couch or in the chair," I said.  
"No, that's okay," Alice said with a smile. "You can sleep in the bed both nights."  
"But-" I began, then stopped. I chuckled and shook my.  
"What?" Esme asked.  
"It's just... You guys spoil me. I'm not used to it," I said, staring at my pencil. Nobody said anything in reply, which left me to begin my picture. I studied the orchid flower on the dining room table. I had the vase almost complete when there was a knock on the door.  
"Room service," a man's voice said. Esme went to open the door and I got up to go put away my supplies. I placed my pencil and eraser in a neat fashion inside of my pencil case and placed that and my sketchpad inside my suitcase.  
I came back into the living room and Esme had already put my spaghetti and soda on the small dining table. It already looked like Esme, Rosalie, and Alice had eaten chunks out of their salad. I sat down in one of the chairs and began to eat my spaghetti. Esme looked at Rosalie and Alice, then took a small bite out of her salad. I looked down for a second. As soon as I looked up, more of Rosalie and Alice's salads were gone.  
After we had eaten and cleaned up our plates, I showered and put on a comfortable pair sleep shorts and a t-shirt. Alice and I hung out in the bedroom, watching TV until about nine-thirty.  
"Alright, you probably should get to sleep. We've got a lot of shopping to do tomorrow," she said, turning off the TV.  
"I'm not ten," I said with a giggle.  
She sighed and smiled. "Well, just don't stay up until midnight, okay?"  
"Gotcha. Good night, Alice," I said, grabbing my sketchpad, a pencil, and an eraser from my suitcase.  
"Good night, Alex," she replied quietly, shutting the door to the bedroom.  
I just stared at my sketchpad for a while, not finding any ideas of what to draw. It was almost ten, so I figured I might as well go to bed.  
As I drifted off to sleep, I thought I heard a faint coughing sound, almost like a gag. It was probably just my imagination. 

**-oOo-**

**Yikes... Esme, Rosalie, and Alice have acid reflux... ;)  
No massage chairs for those three ladies... Wouldn't want to break the chairs!  
Esme did a pretty good job of keeping up the human charade, taking a bite of salad in front of Alex, until she had to... bring it back up. :(  
Being a vampire has its perks, such as the ability to run at lightning-fast speed to a trash can to throw away food and back as to make it look like you actually ate the food.  
Oh, Alex is soooooo clueless...  
Please leave me a review! It would make me a very happy person!  
**


	7. Spree

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.  
Alice... Is going shopping.  
It took A LOT of researching store websites to complete this chapter... Enjoy!**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 7  
-oOo-**

**August 5th, 2011**

I woke up at eight forty-five to an empty bed. The sheets, however, were wrinkled, which led me to believe _someone_ had slept there.  
I slipped my hair into a sloppy ponytail, then trudged out into the living room. An almost empty pot of coffee sat in the coffee maker, while two used coffee cups sat in the sink. Another cup was in Esme's hands.  
"Good morning, Alex," Esme said kindly. "I trust that you slept well."  
"Yes, thank you, I did," I replied.  
"Are you excited for our day of shopping?" Alice asked excitedly, clapping her hands together. Looking at her, she was like a hyper pixie.  
"I am, actually," I told her. After a day of walking, would I regret saying that?  
"We are going to go to almost every store on fifth avenue!" Alice said.  
I frowned. "Fifth avenue? Won't that be really ex-"  
"Don't worry about the price!" Alice sighed. "Just go ahead and get ready. The quicker we leave, the more time we have to shop!" 

-oOo- 

The four of us strolled out of the St. Regis hotel and barely had to walk to get to Fifth Avenue. I had never seen so many fancy brand-name stores in one place. Well, I've never really seen a expensive brand name store before.  
So many stores lined this street. Apple, Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Prada, Abercrombie and Fitch, Zara, GAP, Gucci, Fendi, A/X Armani Exchange, H&M, and Saks 5th Avenue were many of the stores we visited. These were all stores I've heard of but never even dreamed of stepping foot in. The street was a shopaholic's heaven and, needless to say, Alice loved every minute of our shopping. When we went into many of the stores, the workers greeted her by name! It was obvious that Alice has been to New York loads of times.  
In the Apple store, Esme actually bought me an iPhone!  
"Since you are one of the family now, we need to able to keep in touch with you," she told me. "Do not worry, we will get you unlimited texting, too."  
I could help but laugh when she said that. Unlimited texting never crossed my mind. Of course, while we were there, Alice picked out a stylish case for my phone. It was hot-pink leopard print, which I adored.  
When we went to Tiffany & Co., I got a very cute cupcake necklace. When I went to pick that out, Alice had bought something. I asked what she got, but she told me it was a secret.  
Stopping in Louis Vuitton, we bought a lot of suitcases. Alice said I always needed to have luggage handy, and there was the fact that we needed something to take all of our new clothes home in! I think we almost bought the entire stock of luggage...  
At Abercrombie and Fitch, Alice let me pick out only the most stylish graphic tees the store had to offer. I also bought lots of jean shorts and skirts, flip-flops, and camisoles. My favorite t-shirt I got was the Natalie shirt in Heather Grey. It had an awesome floral design on the front, which I loved. Anything with flowers suited me.  
We went to so many other stores, but I absolutely fell in love with two of the things I got at A/X Armani Exchange. One was a Asymmetrical Tunic in the color Wildberry. First seeing it, I thought it wouldn't look good on me. Alice insisted that I tried it on, and it ended up looking very cute. The second thing I loved were the Oversize Cat Eye Sunglasses. The color said it was grey, but they were more of a purple color, matching the tunic perfectly.  
You would think that we might face a little trouble walking around New York City with tons and tons of bags, but that wasn't a problem. Since we were staying at the very prestigious St. Regis hotel, we had all of our bags delivered to our hotel room.  
After stopping in almost every store on Fifth Avenue, it was late in the afternoon.  
"There are just a few more stores I want to stop at before we head back to the hotel room," Alice said. "Is that okay with everyone?"  
My feet were becoming a little sore, but I said, "Fine by me." Esme and Rosalie nodded their heads in agreement.  
We did a little bit of walking until we reached True Religion Brand Jeans. I got a few pairs of jeans for the coming fall there, along with two pairs of jean shorts.  
After we went there, we went to Coach. This had to be my favorite store so far.  
"Go ahead and pick out five purses along with anything else you like. Go!" Alice said, giving me a little shove.  
Five gorgeous purses really popped out at me as I walked through the store. I had to look at the tags for their names, making sure not to psych myself out with the prices. The purses I got were the Madison Clover Print Sophia Satchel, which had a blue and silver design, the Poppy Sequins Rocker Satchel in a silver color, the Poppy Signature Sateen Lurex Rocker, which had a red type of design, the Poppy Petal Print Appliqué purse with a "Groovy" design, and the Madison Dotted Op Art Maggie Shoulder Bag, which had a black and silver design. I had never seen such beautiful handbags before. These were absolutely awesome!  
As I wandered through the store, I stumbled upon a hat. It was no ordinary hat. The Coach symbol was all over the tan hat, with a band that went along the rim that had a purple floral print. I found it ironic that the name of the hat was the Alice Signature C Trilby hat.  
I found a mirror and tried on the hat, making poses and funny faces when no one was looking. Turning to the left, I planned to go show Alice what I had found. Instead, I ran into something. Something as in a person something.  
I looked up at the person to apologize and...  
Whoa. 

**  
-oOo-  
**

****

Sorry if this chapter was boring... Still, please review!  
Who did Alex run into, causing her to be shocked? I don't know... You'll have to wait and find out.  
If anyone can guess who she runs into, I'll be the shocked one.  
Want to see pictures of the purses Alex picked out? The links are:  
Madison Clover Print Sophia Satchel (Silver/Blue Multicolor):  
http:/www(dot)luxurycometrue(dot)com/upload/Coach-Madison-Clover-Print-Sophia-Satchel-Blue-Multi-15946_277_1(dot)jpg

Poppy Sequins Rocker Satchel (Silver):  
http:/3(dot)bp(dot)blogspot(dot)com/_Eo7x53ihBB4/TTLt6ZKFeSI/AAAAAAAAdI0/UsqiQjvEaCA/s320/2011-01-16_210635(dot)jpg

Poppy Signature Sateen Lurex Rocker (Silver/Secret Admirer):  
http:/www(dot)luxurycometrue(dot)com/upload/Coach-Poppy-Signature-Sateen-Lurex-Rocker-Secret-Admirer-16295_571_1(dot)jpg

Poppy Petal Print Applique Groovy:  
http:/www(dot)fashionfuss(dot)com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/coach-poppy-petal-print-applique-groovy(dot)jpg

Madison Dotted Op Art Maggie Shoulder Bag (Silver/Black):  
http:/s7d2(dot)scene7(dot)com/is/image/Coach/16505_svbk_a0?$browse_thumbnail$

Also, you can see a picture with all of the purses that I made on Polyvore at:  
http:/www(dot)polyvore(dot)/cgi/set?id=27642939


	8. Mother Dearest

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Please review, because it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (did that sound wrong to you guys, too, or is my mind just in the gutter?).  
Reviews = Happiness  
**

**  
Their Girl?  
Chapter 8  
-oOo-**

**August 5th, 2011  
**

Whoa.  
The person I bumped into was a woman.  
A woman who looked just like me.  
Her hair was the same color and same length, and her eyes were the same shade of blue as mine: blue with a mix of green and grey.  
I immediately jumped to the frightening conclusion that-  
"Oh god," she muttered. "I thought I got rid of you sixteen years ago."  
"Excuse me?" I said, my heart starting to pound faster. "Do I know you?"  
"Kid, are you really that unobservant?" she spat. "Don't you realize that I look like you?"  
"I have eyes. I can see that," I told her.  
"Alexandra, I'm your mother," she said.  
She knew my name. My FULL name.  
I looked her up and down. She was wearing tiny short-shorts, a halter top, and strappy wedge shoes.  
"I go by Alex, actually," I told her.  
"Whatever," she said.  
"Wait... How old are you?" I asked.  
"Thirty-two," she said flatly. "But thirty-two is the new twenty-two!"  
If she was thirty-two, and I'm sixteen, then she had me when she was...  
"You had me when you were sixteen?" I asked, shocked.  
"Ugh, yeah. Man, that was a wild party. After a few drinks... Boy, you father knew how to throw a party. When you were born, I dropped you off in that foster home the first second I got, then my family and I moved to New York," she said.  
"So, you basically left me behind like garbage?" I muttered.  
"Pretty much. If you haven't noticed already, you were a mistake," she barked.  
"Mistake? Well, I'm glad you left me behind! Imagine what I would be like if YOU raised me? Ugh, I shudder at the thought!" I shouted.  
"You better not speak to me like that," she said. "I am your mother, you know."  
"Mother? Oh please, you're no more of my mother then the mannequins in this store!" I said.  
Esme, Alice, and Rosalie came up behind me.  
"Is there a problem here?" Alice asked, staring at my mother.  
"We wouldn't want any trouble," Rosalie snarled.  
"Who in the heck are you people?" my mother shouted.  
"I would like you to meet my adoptive mother Esme and my adopted sisters, Rosalie and Alice," I said.  
"Now, I think would be a good time for you to leave, Mother Dearest."  
Esme gasped.  
"Don't come waltzing around here and try to kick me out like you own the place," she said.  
"C'mon, Alex," Alice said, tugging on my arm. "Let's get out of here."  
"Good riddance, Mother," I spat as we walked away.  
As soon as we were far away from the world's worst mother, Alice said to me, "Are you okay?"  
I sighed. "No, not really."  
"If you're feeling up to it, how about we stop in Anthropologie and then head back to the hotel room, okay?" she asked.  
"One more store should be fine," I sighed.  
Esme wrapped her arm around my shoulder and we headed out. 

-oOo- 

Anthropologie had many, many cute bathing suits, which is the bulk of what I bought there. Unfortunately for me, Alice wanted to help me try them on.  
It wasn't that I didn't want her to help, I just didn't want her to see my scar.  
I had a deep scar that ran between my neck and my right shoulder, and I had been told by Mr. Johnson, my social worker, that it was from a fight I got in when I lived in Washington. There was really no other option to believe him, but when I thought about the scar, tried to focus deeply on a memory... There was nothing. It was like a missing picture of a filmstrip. Not blurry, not unclear, just not there.  
Esme and Rosalie went and looked around in the store while Alice helped me try on bathing suits. The first bathing suit I tried on was a very cute floral bikini that flattered the little curves that I had. When I opened the door to show Alice, I rubbed the spot of my scar as to make it look like I was just rubbing my shoulder.  
"Very cute," she said thoughtfully. "It looks nice on you. Do you like it?"  
"Yes, I do," I told her. She nodded and handed me a navy blue bikini with a ruffle design on the bottoms.  
"This looks really adorable, and I think the color would complement you. Try it on," she urged, giving me a slight push into the dressing room and closing the door. When I came out this time, I threw my hair over my scar.  
"Move your hair," Alice said. I hesitated for a second, then pushed it so it fell behind me but then rubbed the spot of my scar.  
"Put your hands on your hips and give me a little pose or something," she said.  
I slowly moved my hand away from my shoulder and lifelessly put it on my hip. Alice's eyes widened, and she pushed me into the dressing room, shutting the door and locking it quickly.  
"What is this?" she asked, pointing to the scar.  
"Please don't tell Esme, Rosalie... Don't tell anyone! I don't want them to worry," I whispered.  
"W-why didn't I notice this before?" she murmured quietly. It seemed like the question was more for herself rather than me.  
"Well, you've only known me for a few days, and I've always covered it up," I said, obviously.  
"Oh... Oh, right," she said, not taking her eyes off of the scar. "Where in the world did you get it?" she asked.  
"I-I don't know," I said truthfully. "I had been told that it was from a fight I got in at my old foster home, but..."  
"But what?" Alice questioned.  
"I can't remember. When I try to thing about the scar, try to conjure up a memory, it's... it's like it never even happened," I said.  
She turned away for a moment. "That's strange... Very strange."  
She seemed lost in her own realm of thought. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, she turned back to face me.  
"How about we try on those last few bathing suits and call it a day, okay?" she asked quietly.  
I nodded slowly as she walked out of the dressing room and shut the door. Yeah, her thoughts were definitely somewhere else. 

-oOo- 

When got back to the hotel later that evening, Alice told us to head up to the room and she would retrieve our bags from the front desk. She came up to the room, followed by two butlers that were maneuvering four luggage carts filled with our purchases. My jaw dropped as all of the bags were moved into the bedroom and placed neatly on the floor. As the two butlers headed out, Esme slipped then both big tips. With all the stuff they had to lug around, they deserved it.  
When they were gone, Alice laid out the suitcases we bought and began to sort clothes and accessories. I figured that there were suitcases for the four of us, and she placed our own things inside of them.  
I left her in the bedroom to work her magic and headed out into the living room. Esme was sitting in an armchair reading a book, or at least she looked like it. Rosalie was sitting on the couch, and she looked upset.  
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting down next to her.  
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "My question is, are you?"  
I should have known this would be coming: a discussion about my mother.  
"Yeah, I'm okay," I said.  
She shook her head and looked at me. "You were treated like dirt by your own biological mother, and you tell me you're okay?"  
I hung my head down. "I always wondered why I was placed into the foster care system. Now that I know why, I'm glad I was. She would never would have been able to raise me at sixteen, let alone-"  
"She had you when you were sixteen?" Esme asked incredulously, slamming her book shut and dropping it on the table.  
I nodded. "She said I was a mistake, that she had me because of a party."  
"I can't believe that," Rosalie spat as she clenched her knuckles together.  
"I don't care," I said with a sigh.  
"You... You do not mean that," Esme said. "She should not have done that to you."  
"I know, I know," I muttered. "It makes me think, though. Fate made her drop me off and leave me behind, but because of that, I met you guys."  
"Fate brought you to us," Rosalie said, then something else too quiet for me to hear.  
I chuckled. "Fate has a sick sense of humor sometimes, doesn't it?"  
Rosalie smiled, but it seemed sad. "You've got that right."  
We were silent for a moment, but our discussion got me thinking.  
"Esme?" I asked. "Why didn't Bella come with us?"  
Esme and Rosalie looked at each other and laughed.  
"Bella absolutely despises shopping," Alice said, walking out of the bedroom. "She would have made every one of us miserable with her constant complaining."  
"And she wouldn't want to be away from Edward and Nessie for a second," Rosalie added.  
"Nessie and Bella seem to be really good friends," I said.  
"Oh, they're more like family," Rosalie snickered. 

**-oOo-**

**  
Many of you asked why Bella wasn't on the trip, and there is your answer. If you have seen some of my Polyvore pictures, you probably noticed that Bella and Edward aren't pictured in them, and that's because they don't have a big role in this trilogy of mine. The Twilight Saga itself focuses SO MUCH on them, which is why they don't have big parts.  
Please review! I'd like to get a lot of reviews for this chapter!  
**


	9. Developing

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I'm in shock! I got NINE REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! It may not seem like a lot, but it's the most I have ever gotten for one chapter! So, because of that awesome milestone, I wanted to thank all the readers who reviewed my last chapter: Eliza Russell, Dominique Weasley, AlicexJasper, emmettlover4everandalways, Cat, immortalroxtar, embenoit, DareBare13, and A.R2914! I love you guys more than peanut butter (and that's saying something)!  
**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 9  
-oOo-**

**August 6th, 2011**

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme convinced- no, forced me to sleep in the bed again last night. I eventually did, after a few "buts".  
"You have been walking around all day, so you must be tired," Esme had said. "Just go ahead and sleep in the bed."  
It seemed to me that they "forgot" they had been walking around New York all day, too.  
Alice woke me up at seven this morning, saying she wanted to catch an early flight so we could get back as soon as possible. Luckily, Alice had packed everything we didn't need to get ready last night, so our many, many, MANY suitcases were all ready to go.  
I decided to wear my favorite items of clothes that I got. I wore my A/X Armani Exchange wildberry-colored Asymmetrical Tunic, True Religion Brand skinny jeans, Coach Alice Signature C Trilby hat, A/X Armani Exchange purple Oversize Cat Eye Sunglasses (technically they were the color Grey), and Tory Burch Eddie Patent Leather Ballet Flats, a nice purple color that matched everything, from Saks Fifth Avenue.  
I looked at myself in a mirror, and I looked fabulous. I felt pretty fabulous, too.  
"C'mon Alex!" Alice said. "Bring your bags to the door!"  
She opened the door and a butler was standing there with two baggage carts.  
"Hello ladies. My name is Charles, and I will be assisting you," he said. Esme tensed at the mention of his name. I wonder why...  
Rosalie put her hand on Esme's arm and she seemed to relax.  
Charles was very strong, so he was able to easily lift all of our suitcases onto the carts. He shut the door to the room, and we followed behind him. We rode in the elevators, walked through the lobby, and followed down the front steps of the hotel to a large waiting taxi. This taxi would have fit seven people, plus the driver, but we needed the space for all of our luggage. The sight of it made me laugh.  
"What is so funny?" Esme asked as we watched our suitcases being moved to the trunk and the back of the taxi.  
"Our bags are getting human treatment. We got space just for them," I said with a giggle.  
"It seems that way, does it not?" she said.  
"Our bags need to be handled with care!" Alice shouted with a smile. "Now hurry up and get in the taxi! We've got a flight to catch!"  
"Astoria, here we come," I said as we climbed in.  
"Home, here we come," Rosalie corrected me. 

-oOo- 

"Here is your soda, miss," the flight attendant said, placing my plastic cup on the tray in front of me.  
"Thanks," I replied as she walked away down the aisle.  
Alice had booked us a first class flight, and I had to say that it was fancy. Really fancy.  
The seats were in rows of two, which was convenient for the four of us. I sat with Esme and Alice sat with Rosalie.  
I took a sip of my soda and flipped open to a clean page in my sketchbook. I wanted to draw something to pass the time, but I had no idea what to do.  
"What are you going to draw now?" Esme asked me.  
"I have no idea..." I said, not looking up from my paper.  
"What about... Flowers? Maybe your hat, or a piece of jewelry?" she suggested.  
I tapped my chin, then an idea popped into my head.  
I don't know how long I spent working on my drawing, but it had to be a long time. There was a lot of detail put into it.  
It was a locket.  
I shaded in the locket to make it look silver. The locket was in the shape of a heart and there was a rose design carved into the front.  
"What do you think?" I questioned, showing Esme my sketchpad.  
Her eyes widened. "I-I cannot believe it..."  
"W-What?" I asked. "Is there something wrong with it?  
"N-no," she said. "It is gorgeous."  
She gently took the sketchpad out of my hands and passed it to Rosalie.  
"Look at this, ladies. It looks very... beautiful, does it not?" she said.  
Rosalie looked at it, then showed it to Alice. They shared a glance, then handed the sketchpad back to me.  
"That's really pretty and... realistic," Alice murmured.  
I looked back and forth at the three of them. "Is there something you guys are keeping from me?" I asked.  
"No, of course not," Esme said quickly.  
I looked her right in the eyes. "No secrets?"  
"No, no secrets," she replied smoothly.  
I looked at Rosalie and Alice then back at her.  
"Okay," I said. "I believe you."  
For now. 

-oOo- 

Our flight landed in Seattle at about nine-thirty in the morning, pacific time of course. In the past few days, I have been doing a lot of flying, from coast to coast, time-zone to time-zone.  
Carlisle me us at the airport with Edward's Volvo. I figured he did so for the trunk space. We had _a lot_ of bags, and we needed all the space we could get.  
Esme sat in the passenger seat, next to Carlisle, and I sat in the middle row, next to window, with Rosalie and Alice.  
"So, ladies, did you all enjoy your trip?" Carlisle asked as we drove.  
"Yes, it was wonderful," Esme said.  
"The shopping was phenomenal," Alice added.  
"The heat wasn't so bad this time, either," Rosalie said.  
When they all said this, I just nodded my head.  
Carlisle looked at me through the rear-view mirror.  
"Did you have fun, Alex?" he asked.  
All eyes were on me. "Y-yes, I did. The city was so big."  
"Have you ever been there?" he questioned.  
Eyes were still on me. I shook my head no.  
"Ah, well, your first time to New York City is awe-inspiring, is it not?" he said.  
I nodded. "There were so many stores and so many people..."  
"Definitely. New York City is full of them both. So, I heard you got an iPhone?"  
Carlisle asked me a few more questions, like what I got in the stores, what the hotel was like, et cetera. After that, the car was silent. I stared out the car window, admiring the sights. The nature around here was so beautiful. Hyattsville was nothing like this, and I really don't remember... Port Townsend, was that what it was called?  
It seemed like such a short ride, but before I knew it, we were pulling into the long driveway of the Cullen estate.  
Emmett opened the front door as we pulled up and walked down the porch steps.  
Rosalie got out of the car and gave him a hug.  
"Hello... brother!" she said quite loudly. Alice snickered as she opened the trunk. I wonder why...  
"Wow, you all look fancy," Emmett said, leaving Rosalie's embrace. "Look at you, Alex. Covered in brand names!"  
I gave him a little twirl and he laughed his booming laugh.  
"You are like an Alice minion!" he shouted.  
"In your opinion, is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked.  
"It is a very good thing. Right Emmett?" she said, giving him a devious, sweet smile.  
"Of course, dear sister," he replied, sticking out his tongue.  
I giggled and Alice looked at me. "He is rather childish, isn't he?" she said. I nodded between laughs.  
"I may be a big guy, but I've got the heart of a child," he told us.  
"A big, hyper-active child with the attention span of a house fly," Jasper said, walking down the porch steps, causing me to laugh even harder.  
"Enough joking, all of you," Esme said with a big smile. "Some people have many bags to carry inside."  
I nodded and walked over to the trunk, grabbing one of my big bags. I yanked it out of the trunk and it promptly landed on my big toe.  
"Shoot," I said with a wince.  
Alice put her hand on my shoulder. How long had she been standing there?  
"Are you alright?" she asked.  
I just nodded weakly. "T-the suitcase just landed on my toe, that's all."  
She nodded and reached to grab one of her bags and one of mine, pulling them out of the trunk with ease.  
"Thanks," I said as she placed my suitcase next to me. I took my two bags and rolled them to the porch steps and managed to pull them into the house. When I walked inside, I was met by Parker.  
"Hello Alex," he said.  
"H-hi," I replied, trying desperately not to blush. He's my adoptive brother, I chanted in my head.  
He's my adoptive brother.  
He's my adoptive brother.  
Adoptive.  
Not blood related.  
"You... look very nice," he said.  
"Thanks," I replied, but it sounded more like a question. Did he just say that to not hurt my feelings, or was his pause due to the fact that he was just trying to find the right words? Maybe he didn't way to say anything too... flattering, because he's my brother.  
Adoptive brother.  
Adoptive as in not related by blood.  
"Do you need help carrying your bags?" he asked, yanking me out of my thoughts.  
"Y-yes, thanks, that would be nice," I said.  
I followed him up the stairs into my room and he set the two suitcases in front of my bed. Gosh, he was so strong...  
"Are there more in the car? Wait, I don't think I need to even ask that," he said with a smile that made my heart melt.  
"Y-yeah, there are more in the car," I said with a giggle.  
"I'll help you with the rest," he told me.  
"Oh, n-no, you don't... you don't need to do that for me," I stammered, rubbing my arm.  
"No," he said quietly. "I want to."  
He bit his lip, then gave me a small hug. I never, ever wanted to leave his arms.  
"I'm really glad you're back," he said, then he left the room.  
I knew, at that very moment, that I was falling for Parker Cullen.  
Would it work? COULD it work?  
Most importantly, would he want it to work? 

**-oOo-**

**Alex may not remember Parker, but her feelings for him are no different.  
As her "crush" develops for Parker, will the relationships of her adopted siblings show? If they do, will it make her think her feelings for Parker are okay, or will it change her mind entirely?  
I give nothing away.  
PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Organization

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
YAY, I've gotten over FIFTY reviews for this story! Thanks to everyone that reviewed.  
Enjoy this chapter! :)  
**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 10  
-oOo-**

**August 7th, 2011  
**

I woke up at eight-thirty, pulled on some slippers, put my hair in a quick ponytail, and headed downstairs. When I made it to the living room, I could smell bacon.  
A man was sitting at the dining room table with Nessie, eating bacon and eggs. He was very buff, almost as buff as Emmett, and seemed Native American. His hair was short and jet-black.  
"Good morning, Alex," Esme said, turning around from the frying pan on the stove. "I am making eggs, bacon, and there are some English muffins that can be put in the toaster. What would you like?"  
"I'll have some bacon and an English muffin because I'm not a big fan of eggs," I told her.  
"Aw, C'mon!" Nessie said to me. "Eggs are my absolute favorite!"  
"She doesn't have to have eggs, Ness," the man chided. He turned and looked at me. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jake... Bella and Nessie's, erm, friend."  
"Nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand. Whoa, he had a firm grip.  
"I'm done my eggs, Jake," Nessie said. "Can we go now? Please?"  
"Sure, kiddo," he told her. Turning to Esme, he said, "Thank you so much for the breakfast. It was great."  
Esme smiled. "You are very welcome."  
He turned to me. "It was nice meeting you," he said, then he went out the back door with Nessie. When Esme left, she fanned the air near her head discretely.  
"Here is your bacon," Esme said, placing a plate in front of me.  
"Thanks," I replied. When she sat down the plate, the muffin popped up in the toaster. "That would be your muffin."  
"Would you happen to have any grape jelly?" I asked. "I always like to put grape jelly on my English muffins."  
"I think we have some in the refrigerator. Go ahead and check," she said. I found a container, plopped some jelly on the English muffin, and ate my breakfast.  
When I was done, I placed my dirty dishes in the sink.  
"Thank you for making breakfast, Esme," I said to her. "It was really good."  
"Thank you!" she gushed. "I always love to cook."  
"I just have one question," I added. "Why doesn't everyone else eat with me, too?"  
She turned away from me slightly. "Ah, they will get food if they want it."  
I was still asking in my head, Why won't they eat around me? There was an awkward silence between Esme and I. It seemed, though, as Alice knew that.  
"Alex!" Alice shouted from upstairs. "Get your butt up to your room right now!"  
"Gosh, pixie, no need to scream so loud," I heard Emmett say. "I'm sure she can hear you just fine."  
"I don't need your input, Emmett!" she replied. "Alex, get up here!"  
I passed Emmett as I walked upstairs.  
"Good luck," he warned me.  
I gulped. What kind of fate was I going to face?  
When I walked into my room, Alice was standing there with her hands on her hips. Emmett was right, she _did _look like a pixie. An angry one, at that.  
"Come here," she said, bringing me into my closet. She pointed to the clothes we bought on the New York trip that were now hanging up. "What is this?"  
"Um, my clothes?" I replied.  
"Well, duh, I know they're clothes. What I don't know is why they aren't organized," she said.  
"Should they be?" I asked.  
"Yes!" she said with an exasperated sigh.  
"Well... can you tell me how you want then organized?" I questioned.  
She smiled. "Of course, little sister. I was hoping you would ask that."  
For the next half an hour, I helped Alice sort my clothes by season, then type of clothing, and then color. She was like a two-year-old on caffeine, always moving!  
When we were done, I crashed onto my futon, exhausted, while Alice, on the other hand, looked like she didn't break a sweat.  
"So, just make sure you keep all of your clothes organized in the system we created, and you should be good to go!" she told me.  
"I'll make sure that I do," I said with a nod.  
"Alex, Alice, can you come downstairs please?" Esme called.  
I looked at Alice, and she shrugged. "I have no idea what she needs," she said.  
When she walked out of the room, she seemed to have a small smile on her face that she was probably trying to hide.  
When Alice and I walked into the dining room, Esme and Carlisle were standing there talking to each other.  
Carlisle cleared his throat. "Alex, Esme and I were thinking about going away for a few days, just the two of us. Alice said that you could stay here with her, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Parker. How does that sound?"  
I would have been not so sure about the whole idea if Alice and Rosalie weren't staying. Since they are, though, it shouldn't be too bad.  
"That sounds okay. You and Esme deserve some time to relax. Where are you going?"  
"Our own island off the coast of Brazil," Carlisle said.  
My eyes widened. "You have your own island?"  
"Yes. Isle Esme," Esme told me with a huge grin.  
I smiled, looking at Carlisle. "Really?"  
"Yes. It is a beautiful island," he said.  
"We will be leaving tomorrow, and we should be back sometime on Wednesday," Esme said. "Is that okay?"  
Alice looked at me excitedly. How could I say no?  
"Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun," I said.  
Alice squealed and wrapped her arms around me for a hug. "Yay, Alex! Oh my gosh, we are going to have so much fun!"  
"It seems that we have created a monster," Carlisle said with a chuckle. "Well, Esme, how about we go pack our bags?" She nodded and the two of them headed out of the room.  
I turned and looked at Alice. "What are you going to do with me?" I asked jokingly.  
"You'll see," she said with a wink. 

-oOo- 

I had a dream that night, but it was very different from the usual. All I remember was running, running, running faster, running from SOMETHING.  
I was in a forest and all that surrounded me was trees. No animals or people.  
All I could hear was my feet pounding on the ground and the echoing of my heartbeat in my ears. Then there was a crinkle of leaves and the snap of a branch.  
I heard the snarls.  
I saw the ground.

I struggled under the iron grasp of someone, or _something_. I wiggled, kicked, and moved to try to free myself, but it was no use. The person holding me was too strong.

A man's laugh rang out and echoed in my ears. It was probably the most menacing thing I have ever heard.

"Bad choice, Alex," the man said. "I thought you'd be smarter then that." 

**-oOo-**

**Somebody said something about wanting Alex to have another dream, so here you go. Alex thinks it's just a nightmare, but oh is she wrong...  
Please review! I REALLY want lots of reviews!**


	11. Bonding

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
WARNING: LONG CHAPTER ALERT! 3,763 words, not including the Author's Notes!**

****

Their Girl?  
Chapter 11  
-oOo-  


****

August 8th, 2011  


"We will not be gone for long," Esme said to me. "If you need to call myself or Carlisle for anything, our numbers on the refrigerator. Now, there is money on the counter that you can use to order a pizza, because I really do not want to come home to a burnt down house."  
"Esme is the only one who can cook!" Emmett bellowed. "I know I can't cook to save my life."  
Esme laughed. "There are also some items in the refrigerator and freezer that you can make for meals."  
"Don't worry about it, Esme," Rosalie said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure we're capable. Well, except for Emmett."  
"Hey! I heard that!" he said.  
"I'm kinda guessing you were supposed to," I said.  
Rosalie laughed.  
"Well, dear, we best be on our way," Carlisle said, walking back into the house. He had just been out moments before, putting his bags and Esme's in his Mercedes. Edward was going to drive him to the airport, while Bella and Nessie were out visiting their friend, Jake.  
"Goodbye, dear," Esme murmured in my ear, giving me a hug. "Do not let Emmett have too much fun."  
She winked at me as I started giggling.  
"What is it, Pick on Emmett Day?" Emmett cried.  
"I think that's every day, brother," Jasper said.  
Esme went and gave everyone else hugs. Alice seemed very... happy. It was odd. Parker seemed somewhat uncomfortable giving Esme a hug.  
"Goodbye everyone," Carlisle said. He grabbed Esme's hand and they walked out, shutting the door behind them.  
I watched Edward climb into the driver's seat. I watched Esme and Carlisle get into the car, and I watched them drive away.  
Next thing I knew, I was swooped into the air and flung over Emmett's shoulder.  
"Hey, put me down!" I shouted.  
"Nah, I don't think so, kiddo," he replied.  
Something flashed in my head, almost like a memory. Or was it? I was being held in someone's arms... tightly. This whole situation gave me déjà vu.  
I think I tensed up or something, because Emmett quickly put me down on the couch.  
"Alex, what's wrong?" I heard him say, but it sounded distant. I shook my head. He was down on his knee so he was at my eye level.  
"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked me.  
"Y-yeah," I said. "Just a weird feeling of déjà vu, that's all."  
Rosalie and Alice looked at each other.  
"I'm sorry if I scared you or anything," Emmett said to me.  
I looked him in the eyes. "No, you didn't scare me. Don't worry about it. It's just me... being me."  
"Alright, then. Let's have some fun!" Emmett yelled. "And by fun, I mean video games! Anyone up for Rockband?"  
"I've played that before," I said to no one in particular.  
"Alex, what instrument do you want use? Or, maybe you could... sing..." Emmett said.  
There was NO WAY I was going to sing in front of everyone, especially when I barely know them. "Uh, I'll play guitar."  
He seemed to frown a little. "Okay. I'll play drums. Jasper, do you want to play bass?"  
"Yeah, I'll play," Jasper said.  
"Yay, go Jasper the Rock star!" Alice cheered, clapping her hands together jubilantly.  
When the game was loaded up, Emmett scrolled through the quick play song selection screen, well... quickly, and picked a song. It happened to be my favorite.  
"'That's What You Get' by Paramore? I love that song..." I murmured.  
Everyone looked at me.  
"R-really?" Rosalie asked. "How long have you liked that song?"  
I shrugged my shoulders. "I think my friend Beth had it on a CD. When she played it, I loved it. One time, her and I went over to her boyfriend Cris's house and we played it on Rockband there."  
"Alright, quiet!" Emmett shouted when the song began. "I need to concentrate!"  
I giggled as I started playing the notes that were mine. I played on Medium, unlike Emmett and Jasper who played on Expert! No matter how hard I tried, I don't think I would ever be good enough to play on that level.  
As I played, I was really immersed into the song. The lyrics, the beat, everything in the song was great.  
When Emmett, Jasper, and I played the last notes, Alice called out, "I get the bass next!"  
I looked at Alice. "What?" she asked me. "Is there a problem with me playing?"  
"No, no, no!" I stuttered. "It's just that... well, you didn't seem to strike me as a person that would like video games."  
"Oh, I only like this game, trust me," she said with a wink. "All of Emmett and Jasper's other games annoy me."  
"Well, pixie, I bet if you played the games, you'd like them as much as Jazz and I do," Emmett told her.  
"Don't call me pixie!" she shouted, lightly punching him in the arm.  
"Gosh, don't beat him up, princess," Jasper said to her. She smiled at him and rolled her eyes.  
"Alex, do you want to play Wii?" Emmett asked me.  
"Sure," I answered. "I've never played before, though."  
"Gasp!" he said, wearing a look of fake shock.  
I frowned at him. "I grew up in a foster home, remember? There wasn't extra money laying around to buy a Wii."  
"Uh, yeah... right," he mumbled, looking away from me. There was an awkward feeling in the air, but I seemed to calm down very quickly.  
"Let's play some Wii, shall we?" I asked with a smile.  
"So much for me playing bass..." Alice muttered to herself.  
"Alice, I'm sure you'll have lots of time later," Rosalie said with a wink.  
Emmett and I played Wii for almost three hours. Every time I tried to sit down, Emmett yanked me back up, saying, "You can't truly play Wii sitting down!"  
I stared to get tired but Emmett looked like he could keep playing for the rest of the day. After a short period of time, everybody left the room and it was only Emmett and I.  
"Emmett..." Rosalie called sweetly from upstairs. His head whipped around to look at the staircase. "I need to talk to you..."  
He got up and quickly headed upstairs.  
"Now that he's gone," Alice said, coming over to me and putting her hand on my shoulder, "Let's do something a little more relaxing."  
"Please," I sighed, and she led me upstairs.  
"Rosalie, it worked!" she shouted as we walked into my room.  
"Hey, that's not funny!" Emmett shouted as Rosalie bounded into the room. "You stole my video game partner, and we were having fun!"  
"Emmett, I think Alex got bored a long time ago but she was too polite to say anything," Alice said.  
I blushed and looked at my feet. It was true...  
Emmett huffed. "Fine. I'll ask Jasper to play Call of Duty with me. Now that's a fun game!"  
He shut the door to my room.  
Ugh, he was going to play a war game. Those types of video games seemed so pointless to me.  
"Sorry we didn't rescue you earlier," Rosalie giggled. "Trust me, Emmett could play video games for days..."  
"S'okay," I mumbled. I would have just stopped playing, but Emmett just seemed so... intimidating. I was scared to see what would happen if I made him mad. When Alice was teasing him, I laughed along because everyone else was teasing him, but how would he react if I was alone?  
"What's wrong, Alex?" Rosalie asked me, frowning.  
"N-nothing," I said quickly.  
Alice frowned, too. "Alex, you are a terrible liar. What is the matter?"  
"I didn't stop playing video games with Emmett because... well..." I stammered.  
"Because what?" Alice asked.  
I looked away from the two of them and focused on my hands that were folded in my lap.  
"Were... Were you afraid? That he would get mad?" Rosalie questioned.  
I nodded weakly.  
"Oh, Alex. Emmett is one of the sweetest guys you will ever meet!" Rosalie told me. "Trust me, he is like a big Teddy bear!"  
Alice mumbled something under her breath and Rosalie elbowed her in the ribs.  
"Y-yeah, Alex. The only reason Emmett would get mad at someone and, well, hurt them... is if someone hurt you," Alice said.  
"Or a member of the family," Rosalie added.  
I smiled a little bit. "He seems like to typical over-protective older brother."  
Rosalie and Alice chuckled.  
"Exactly," Rosalie said.  
After all that talk, Rosalie and Alice started chatting about other things, like my favorite things and what my life was like before I came here.  
"So, what was Port Townsend like?" Rosalie inquired.  
I looked at her, confused. "Excuse me?"  
"Port Townsend? Wasn't that where your first foster home was?" Rosalie questioned.  
"Oh... Oh, yeah," I said. "Um... I don't remember."  
"You don't remember anything about Port Townsend?" Alice asked.  
"No, I don't. It was just on our trip where I found out where I had actually lived in Washington," I told them.  
"You didn't even remember where you lived?" Rosalie said in disbelief.  
"Nope."  
"How did you get to Maryland, then?"  
"My social worker brought me there."  
Rosalie and Alice looked at each other.  
"My social worker, Mr. Johnson, told me he moved me to Maryland because I was struggling in school. It didn't really make sense, though, because I got really good grades in Maryland. Well, I guess that maybe because I was in a new school-"  
"I hate to interrupt you," Alice said. "But tell me about your social worker... Mr. Johnson."  
"Well, he seemed very mysterious, I guess, and he always wore sunglasses. I remember my first day at the Tracey Morgan Foster Home, staring out the window, watching the rain pour down and him drive away in his old car. He dropped me off there, and I never saw or heard from him again."  
"That's... That's terrible!" Alice muttered.  
I shrugged. "I just figured that he worked in Washington, so he had to go back."  
"Or maybe not..." Rosalie murmured quietly.  
"What was that, Rosalie?" I asked.  
"Maybe he didn't go back to Washington."  
"Where else could he have gone?"  
"Anywhere, Alex. He could be anywhere..."  
"You... You talk about him like he's a bad guy," I said.  
She looked me right in the eyes. "Yes, I do. He left you behind, and that makes him a very bad guy. In more ways than one... I have a bad feeling about this guy."  
"You've never meet him," I pointed out.  
"From what you told me, Alex, it is almost like you've never meet him, either."  
"Well, I have."  
"How much of it do you remember?" she shouted.  
"What are you talking about?" I asked, dumbfounded.  
She shook her head. "Never mind."  
Everyone was silent for a moment.  
"Well..." Alice said, breaking the awkwardness. "Who wants lunch?"  
My stomach instantly grumbled, and I said, "I know I do!"  
We headed down to the kitchen and I made myself a sandwich with some of the lunchmeat Esme left behind. When I finished, Rosalie and Alice took me on a tour of... their closets, of course. Alice's really threw me for a loop.  
We walked in and it was like my jaw dropped to the floor.  
There were racks upon racks of every type of clothing imaginable. Shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, coats, you name it, it was most likely there. On the floor of the closet were racks that were filled to the brim with shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Jewelry mannequins, like the one I had in my closet, lined one wall. She also had a small mannequin that was wearing a ensemble from the waist up. I guessed that it was something that Alice coordinated herself.  
"Whoa... This closet seems almost the size of my room!" I shouted.  
"Actually, it is very close in size," Alice said.  
I looked at her. "You're kidding, right?"  
She shook her head with a serious face.  
"Well, where are Emmett and Jasper's rooms? What are their closets like?" I asked.  
Rosalie and Alice looked at each other.  
"Well, Emmett and Jasper share a room upstairs while Edward and Parker share a room up there, too," Alice said. "There are four bedrooms on this floor: yours, Rosalie's, mine, and Carlisle and Esme's. On the third floor there are four bedrooms: Edward and Parker's, Emmett and Jasper's, Bella's, and a guest bedroom."  
I was curious to see the boys' bedrooms, and Bella's bedroom, but I didn't say anything. I knew how messy a boy's room could get, but I was really curious how big Bella's closet is. I know she doesn't like shopping...  
We spent the rest of the day doing girl stuff. Alice and Rosalie pulled me into Alice's bathroom and Rosalie gave me a make-over.  
"Don't open your eyes until I tell you to," Rosalie had said to me.  
When I did, I didn't recognize myself. My skin looked almost flawless. The make-up around my eyes made them really pop, and my lips were an elegant pink. I could not stop staring. Was it really possible for me to look like this?  
"Wow," I murmured after staring at my reflection. "I-is it really me?"  
"Yes, and I think you look beyond stunning, if I do say so myself," Rosalie said.  
After my makeover, Alice and Rosalie dressed themselves and I in Alice's accessories. Rosalie grabbed a gorgeous red camera, with a touch screen I might add, and snapped tons of pictures.  
"I feel like a supermodel," I giggled when we looked at the pictures.  
"Alex! Alice! Rosalie!" Emmett called. "We ordered a pizza and if you don't get down here soon it will be all gone!"  
I looked at the clock on Alice's bedside table. It was six-thirty already? I guess the saying "Time flies when you're having fun" is very true.  
"We're coming!" Alice called out.  
"Save some!" I added, then I dashed out the door and down the stairs, coming to a halt in the dining room. A box of cheese pizza sat on the edge of the table and only four slices remained.  
"Wow, way to almost eat the entire box of pizza, boys," Rosalie called out as she walked up behind me.  
"Sorry, darlings, we were hungry," Jasper said. I could hear Emmett chuckle.  
"Do you want me to go grab us plates from the cabinet?" I asked Rosalie and Alice.  
"Uh, actually, we were going to eat something later," Alice said.  
"Yeah, the pizza is not very good for our... acid reflux," Rosalie muttered. Emmett started cackling in the other room, to which Rosalie just rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot about that," I said.  
I went into the kitchen and grabbed a plate out of the cabinet then walked to the fridge. When I opened it, the was a box of Pepsi that I noticed with a note attached to it. 

_Hello Alex. Hope you like Pepsi! Enjoy!  
~Esme  
_

"Esme, you are amazing," I muttered to myself, opening the box of soda and grabbing a can. This was my favorite, but how did she know? Lucky guess, maybe? What also made me wonder is why she only addressed the note to me. Maybe no one else in the family like Pepsi...  
I walked back into the room, plopped a slice of pizza on my plate, and walked into the living room where everyone else was lounging.  
"Doesn't that pizza slice seem a little too big, Alex? It seems to me that your eyes are bigger than your stomach!" Emmett bellowed, obviously cracking a joke at my small figure.  
"Ha ha, very funny," I muttered.  
"Emmett, stop teasing!" Rosalie chided. He seemed to say something under his breath, causing Rosalie to chuck a pillow at his head. The video game controller slipped out of his hands and he ended up losing the game he was playing to Jasper.  
"Aww, Rosalie, C'mon! I lost to Jasper!" he muttered, crossing his arms and pouting like a two-year-old.  
"Oh, quit your whining!" she retorted, causing me to snort as I took a sip of my soda and start choking. I almost hacked up a lung, while Emmett rolled around on the floor the entire time laughing.  
I frowned. "It's not funny."  
"It was pretty hilarious, kiddo," he said.  
"Why don't you go take a shower real quick, Alex?" Alice suggested, stopping the bickering between Emmett and I.  
"Sounds good," I said, getting up off of the floor. I headed upstairs, grabbed everything I needed, and took a quick shower. Afterwards, I blew dry my hair, put it in a quick ponytail, and slipped on some boxer sleep shorts and a graphic tee, both were from Abercrombie in New York City.  
I walked back into my room from my closet and my eyes fell upon the pillows on my bed. If Emmett was like a big Teddy bear, then how would he feel about a pillow fight?  
I picked up one of my purple pillows as Alice walked in the room with a smile on her face.  
"Hey Alex! Whatcha' up to?" she asked.  
"Nothing," I said quickly, dropping the pillow back on the bed.  
She walked over to me. "If you were planning on having a pillow fight, allow me to assist you," she whispered in my ear.  
"Do you think it's a good idea?" I whispered back.  
"Yes, and I think we can get someone else to join our team," she said as Rosalie walked into the room.  
"I heard something about a pillow fight," she whispered. "I'm in."  
"Emmett is playing a video game by himself right now," Alice said. "Rosalie, you can quietly give Alex a piggy-back ride down the stairs-"  
"A piggy back ride?" I asked quietly. "Really?"  
"Yes, really," Alice replied. "Then, you two can sneak up behind him and Alex can whack him."  
Rosalie giggled. "This is going to be so entertaining."  
Alice grabbed my pillows and handed one to myself and Rosalie.  
"Will Esme get mad at us?" I asked hesitantly.  
"Nope," Alice replied.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah, I'm sure. Trust me, she'll be happy that we are all bonding."  
I chuckled. "Interesting that you see pillow fighting as bonding."  
"Ready?" Rosalie asked, pulling me up onto her back.  
"Let's do this."  
We headed down the stairs and into the living room, where Emmett's gaze was glued to the TV. He didn't even notice Rosalie and I come down the stairs.  
Rosalie tiptoed up to him as I raised the pillow into the air and swatted his head.  
"Hey!" he shouted, whipping his head around to look at us.  
I jumped off of Rosalie's back as Emmett grabbed a pillow from the couch. Before he could reach me, Rosalie took her pillow and hit him upside the head. He hit her in the side in response.  
Alice came running down the stairs with one of my purple pillows in her hands and went for Emmett, who jumped over the couch to try and get to me. He swung the pillow and hit me in stomach, so I swung back and hit him. Both Alice and Rosalie attacked his head with the purple pillows.  
I heard more footsteps and I was hit in the back by none other than Jasper. He chuckled when I looked at him and smacked him in the leg. I saw Parker out of the corner of my eye, but that wasn't before he lifted me into the air.  
When his skin touched mine, it was like an electric shock. I gasped, and I think he did too. I now had butterflies in my stomach and my skin was tingling.  
I looked at him and my eyed met his. He smiled for a second, before he yelled, "Hit her! I've got her!"  
"No!" I screamed, before everyone, even Alice and Rosalie, starting swatting me with pillows.  
"No! Stop!" I yelled in between laughter. I struggled in Parker's arms, trying to break free. The electric current between us was almost disorienting.  
When he let go of me, I jumped and attacked Alice and Rosalie.  
"Traitors!" I yelled between the giggles escaping from my lips.  
Emmett and Jasper were having a full-on battle. Emmett would lunge to attack him and Jasper would just dart under him. It was like they were trained fighters!  
They were swinging pretty hard, but I was still surprised when Emmett's pillow exploded.  
He whacked Jasper so hard in the head that the pillow burst in a flurry of feathers. They went up into the air and landed on the floor and in everyone's hair.  
"God, Emmett!" Rosalie yelled. "Now I need to pluck feathers out of my hair!"  
I looked around at the mess and the tattered pillow. "Oh no..." I muttered.  
"What's wrong, Alex?" Alice asked. "Are you okay?"  
"We ruined a pillow!" I exclaimed. "What if Esme gets upset? This was my idea, too. Oh, it's all my fault!"  
"Alex, Alex, calm down!" Emmett said. "If Esme is going to get mad at anyone, it's going to be me. I was the one who ruined the pillow."  
"Esme is not going to get mad at _anyone_," Rosalie said. "There are spare pillows in a closet on the second floor."  
"How about we grab you one, Alex, and then you can head up to bed?" Alice suggested. "It's getting late."  
I looked at a clock and it was only nine-fifteen, yet I still found myself yawning. Then, something dawned on me.  
"Um, guys? Where are Edward and Bella?" I asked.  
"Uh, well, Edward went out for a little bit after he dropped off Carlisle and Esme... and Bella called while you were in the shower and she is staying the night at Nessie's house. Edward should be back... any minute now," Alice said.  
Merely seconds later, Edward walked through the front door.  
"Hello everyone," he said, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the feathers. "What happened here?"  
"Pillow fight," Emmett said simply.  
"And now Alex is going to bed. Right, Alex?" Alice said.  
"Yes," I sighed. "But do you want me to help clean up the feathers, since the pillow fight was-"  
"No, you don't need to help. Since Emmett ruined the pillow, he gets to clean it up," Alice told me.  
"Of course," Emmett muttered.  
"Well, thanks for the really fun day!" I said to everyone. "Goodnight!"  
I received many goodnights in reply as I headed upstairs into my room and welcomingly crashed into my lavender bed. 

**-oOo-  
**

****

Yay, hooray for bonding!  
Everyone is telling so many little white lies, from bedrooms to where the family members are. How long can these tales last before something slips?  
Please review!


	12. Fantasy

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I also do not own The Sound of Music and the song "My Favorite Things", which I make a reference to in this chapter.  
OMG! There were ELEVEN reviews for the last chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love you all like peanut butter loves jelly!**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 12  
-oOo-  
**

**August 9th, 2011  
**

I was having the same nightmare again, running and running alone in a forest. Everything was the same: no people or animals. Just trees, trees, and more trees. My feet were taking me as fast as I could go, but it wasn't fast enough. I was taken to the ground again and held against my will.  
The ferocious snarls ripped through the air, followed by the same menacing laugh.  
"Bad choice, Alex," the same male voice said. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."  
I woke to a roaring clap of thunder. Looking out my window, I saw it was thunder-storming. A bolt of lightning illuminated my room, followed by deafening thunder. I clasped my hands over my ears in attempt to quiet it down, but it was no use. The sky kept flashing and the thunder kept booming. Maybe since I was on the second floor, the thunder was louder because I was higher up. I climbed out of bed and ran out of my room.  
When I ran downstairs, Emmett was still downstairs.  
"Hey, kiddo, it's one in the morning!" he said. "What are you doing downstairs?"  
Another roar of thunder sounded, the loudest one yet, and I screamed in fear.  
Emmett's eyes widened and he ran over to me. "Are you scared?"  
I closed my eyes and nodded.  
"Hey, it's okay," he said, putting his arms around me protectively. "It's just a storm, and it will be over soon."  
More thunder claps came and I yelped. I squeezed my eyes tighter, wishing for the storm to end _now_.  
Emmett led me over to the sofa and I sat down as a bright bolt of lightning illuminated the living room.  
"What's going on?" Rosalie asked, walked downstairs in a nightgown. Gosh, either the storm woke her up or I woke her up with my screams. Probably both...  
"I'm s-sorry if I w-woke you," I said, shaking. Thunder boomed and I cringed into Emmett's chest.  
"Are you okay?" she asked, coming to sit with Emmett and I on the couch. I uncoiled from Emmett's arms, but another clap of thunder sounded and I shrunk into a ball. Rosalie rubbed my back.  
"You know," Emmett said. "This is totally a Sound of Music moment."  
I peered at him with a confused look. More thunder and lightning ensued, and I shook.  
"You know, how the Maria woman is in her room during the storm and all the kids come running in. Then she starts singing about all of her favorite things to cheer the kids up," Emmett said.  
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." Rosalie began, giggling.  
"Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens..." Emmett sang out.  
I smiled at them. "Brown paper packages tied up with strings..."  
"These are a few of my favorite things!" we sang in unison.  
I laughed along with them. "Well, consider me cheered up!"  
"Yes, it worked!" Emmett cried.  
"Good job, Emmett," Rosalie said. "I'm proud of you."  
"Well, thanks... Sis," he said. Rosalie giggled.  
"So it's torrentially down-pouring outside," Alice called out, coming down the stairs with Jasper in tow, "And I hear you downstairs singing a song from 'The Sound of Music'. Should I be concerned?"  
"Emmett was just cheering me up," I told her. "It worked, too."  
"Well, I think Emmett can lighten the mood in any situation," Jasper said with a small smile.  
"Why is everyone awake?" Parker asked, coming down the stairs next.  
"Uh, it's a long story," I giggled.  
"You know, Alex," Rosalie said, nudging me. "The storm seems to be letting up."  
"Thank god," I sighed in relief.  
"Is that what this little gathering is about?" Parker questioned.  
We all nodded.  
"Well, thank goodness," he muttered. "It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who gets freaked out by thunderstorms."  
"I hate them, too," I said. "This one seemed especially bad."  
"Well, since the storm is dying down, why don't we _all_ head back to bed, hmm?" Alice suggested.  
"Yes, mom," Emmett said, causing Rosalie to smack him upside the head playfully.  
"You want to head up to bed, Alex?" Rosalie asked me as everyone but her and Emmett headed upstairs.  
I yawned. "I'm too tired to move..."  
"You sure you're not too lazy?" Emmett cooed and Rosalie smacked him again.  
"Just rest on the couch," Rosalie said. "I'll stay down here, too, if you want."  
I closed my eyes and rested my head on a pillow. "Hmm, that would be nice..."  
"I might as well stay down here, too," Emmett said. "I need to make sure I don't need to burst out into song again."  
"That's not going to be necessary, Emmett," Rosalie told him.  
I smiled before I slowly drifted off to sleep.  
It was a peacefully sleep, until my nightmare reared its ugly head again.  
It was the same scenario: I was running in the forest and there was no one else.  
Or so I thought.  
The same cruel man tackled me to the ground again with his signature evil cackle.  
"Bad choice, Alex," he said. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."  
My eyes shot open, and to my relief, I was on the couch in the living room and _not_ in a forest. I wiggled around a little bit on the couch and discovered that someone had put a blanket on me, which made me smile. They were always trying to make me comfortable, which meant the world to me. I have never been spoiled before and I had to admit that it was nice.  
I slowly sat up and noticed that I was not alone in the living room. Edward sat in an armchair, but he looked upset because he was pinching the bridge of his nose. Rosalie sat on the floor and her head was by where my feet originally were when I was sleeping. Her shoulders were slumped, but Emmett was rubbing her back. Why did everyone seem so depressed?  
"Um... good morning?" I said, but it sounded more like a question.  
It was like everything stopped when I spoke. Emmett stopped rubbing Rosalie's back. Edward stopped pinching his nose. Their heads, however, whipped to look at me.  
"G-good morning, Alex," Rosalie said. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Um, yeah?" I replied.  
"No nightmares or anything?" Edward asked. Rosalie glared at him.  
"W-why would you ask that?" I questioned.  
"Yeah, Edward," Rosalie snarled. "Why would you ask that?"  
"You... You spoke in your sleep," Edward muttered.  
"Huh!" I exclaimed. "I didn't know I talked in my sleep."  
"Uh, yeah, well... you did," Emmett mumbled. "You said something like 'stop, stop' and made other noises."  
Did I really say that? It _would_ go along with my dream, but I never spoke in it. Have I been talking out loud the past few times this dream has occurred?  
"Well, it is nine o' clock," Rosalie said. "I know they aren't fancy and are _nothing _compared to Esme's cinnamon rolls, but there are some toaster waffles in the freezer. Do you want to make yourself some waffles?"  
I nodded once then climbed off the couch and walked into the kitchen. The box of waffles was in plain sight when I opened the freezer door. I fixed my waffled absentmindedly, focused more on my dream and everyone's reactions. Were they telling me the whole truth about last night? Could there possibly be more that I said in my sleep that they never mentioned, or never _planned_ to mention?  
The waffles popped out of the toaster, snapping me out of my thoughts. They were not done, however, so I reset the toaster. The butter, plate, and utensils were placed on the counter while the bottle of syrup was heating up in the microwave.  
There was something about my dream that seemed so... real. Was it the scenario, or could it be the location? It seemed to me that I highly doubted that someone would tackle me in a forest and chide me for making a bad choice, _especially_ someone who knew my name. There was still that nagging feeling in the back of my mind, though, that was pointing out how familiar this was. I know it never happened, but it was the same familiarity as meeting the Cullens back at the foster home. I know that I had never meet them, but it seemed like I had.  
The waffles shot up for a second time, and I knew they were done. I placed them on my plate, fixed them up, then placed the plate on the dining room table.  
"Shoot, I didn't grab the milk," I muttered to myself as I started to sit down.  
"Here, let me get you some," Rosalie offered, before walking into the kitchen then walking back out with a glass of milk.  
"Thanks," I muttered quietly as she sat the glass next to my plate.  
"Are you alright, Alex?" Rosalie asked me.  
I munched on a piece of toaster waffle, not answering her.  
"Alex?"  
I swallowed my food and looked at her. "Did I say anything else in my sleep?  
She shook her head. "All you said was 'stop, stop', Alex."  
"Are you sure?" I questioned.  
"Of course I'm sure," she said.  
"Then why did you, Emmett, and Edward look so upset when I woke up?"  
Rosalie frowned. "It's always upsetting to have someone talk in their sleep, saying things like 'stop, stop' in distress."  
"It was just a dream, Rosalie," I muttered, then took another bite of my waffle.  
Alice bounded in the kitchen. "Rosalie, it's time to go."  
"Where are you going?" I asked.  
"Rosalie and I have to run out for a bit. We'll be back in a little while," Alice said. "You can hang out with the boys for a bit."  
I shrugged. "Okay."  
Alice gave me a little wave and Rosalie followed her out of the room. I looked out the backdoor as I finished my waffle. It had not rained since last night but everything was all wet. The wood of the deck was shades darker, showing how much rain came through. There were some scattered twigs lying around in the grass, which I figured had been blown around with the wind.  
I put my dirty dish, utensils, and glass in the sink then washed them quickly. Esme had left a sponge and cleaner right by the sink, so I did not have to go far.  
When I was done with that, I left everything on the drying rack and headed upstairs to get dressed. Since Alice was out, I could get away with wearing just jeans and a t-shirt rather than something incredibly dressy or fancy.  
I grabbed my sketchpad and went back downstairs. Emmett and Jasper were, of course, playing video games when I got there.  
"Is sitting in front of the T.V. and pushing buttons on a controller all you guys ever do?" I inquired, sitting down in the armchair.  
"It seems to be that way, princess," Jasper replied.  
"You don't have jobs or anything?" I asked.  
"Nope," Emmett said, popping the P.  
I rolled my eyes. These guys were funny, but they seemed so _lazy_.  
"Hey, Alex," Parker said, coming down the stairs. "Uh... Do you want to watch a movie upstairs or something, rather than watch the boys play video games?"  
Did Parker really want me to hang out with him? My heart started pounding at a mile a minute. I looked over at Emmett and Jasper and neither one of them was paying any attention to Parker and I. For that I was glad.  
"Uh s-sure, I'd love to. We can watch it on my laptop or something," I told him.  
He gave me that dreamy smile of his. "Cool. Do you want to watch it in your room, then?"  
"S-sounds good," I replied.  
He started up the steps and I followed quickly behind him.  
"Let me go grab a movie," he said. "Uh, I was kind of hoping we could watch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It's my favorite."  
I stared at him, wide-eyed. It had to be fate that his favorite movie happened to be mine as well.  
"Is there something wrong with that movie?" he asked, mistaking my look of shock.  
"No," I said, smiling. "It's my favorite movie, too."  
"Really?" he inquired, laughing.  
"Yeah! Now go get the movie," I said playfully, gently nudging him in the ribs. It hurt my elbow, though, because his skin was like cold, solid rock. He came back minutes later with a DVD in hand and a big smile on his face.  
I walked over to my desk and grabbed my MacBook. He handed the DVD and I slid it in the side slot. After seconds of loading and a few mouse clicks, the movie started. I always loved watching The Chronicles of Narnia because of how the kids were transported into a fantasy world. Pretending that all of those mystical creatures existed gave me joy. The movie was always so beautiful to me, and it never lost its luster.  
At one point in the movie, Parker and I were laying on our stomachs on my bed and both of us had our legs bent and feet up in the air. I moved my feet around a bit, and I assumed he was too, until our feet bumped into each other. It was like an electric current started in my toes and travel through my body.  
"Sorry," we said at the same time, which caused us to giggle and, in my case, blush.  
I noticed we had been watching the movie for about an hour and I was getting thirsty.  
"I'm going to go grab a Pepsi from downstairs," I told Parker. "Do you want anything?"  
"Nope, I'm good, but thanks," he said. "Do you want me to pause the movie?"  
"Nah, I shouldn't be gone long," I muttered, then climbed off the bed and left my room.  
I made my way down the stairs and came across something I thought I'd never see.  
Rosalie and Emmett were kissing.  
They were in a full on lip-lock when I reached the bottom of the stairs. A million thoughts were buzzing in my head. Are they together, and is that even legal? Well, they are siblings but they are not related by blood... How long had they been together? That made me think, is anybody else in this family together, besides Carlisle and Esme?  
Emmett saw me out of the corner of his eye and immediately stepped away from Rosalie.  
"Crap," he muttered.  
I turned on the balls of my feet and dashed up the stairs. I could hear my heart thudding in my chest.  
"Alex, wait!" I heard Rosalie cry.  
I ran into my room and slammed the door behind me.  
"Hey, where's your..." Parker began, but he must of sensed my alarm. "What's wrong?"  
"I-I-I just caught Rosalie and Emmett... kissing!" I shouted.  
Parker's eyes widened. "O-oh."  
I glared at him. "You knew!"  
He looked down at his hands. "I-I don't think I'm the right person to be talking to about all this."  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
As if on cue, someone knocked on the door.  
"Alex, can I come in?" Rosalie asked hesitantly.  
"I'm going to give you some time alone with her," he told me, pausing the movie then going to open the door. Rosalie was standing there and he stepped aside to let her in, then walked down the hall.  
She shut the door behind her. "Okay, just let me explain."  
"Please do, because I am so confused right now," I said, wrapping my arms around my body. "I thought you and Alice went out!"  
"We WERE out, but first of all, I should have told you-"  
"That you and Emmett were a thing?" I interrupted. "That probably, when I had my back turned, you kissed behind it?"  
She sighed. "Yes, and I'm sorry."  
"I-I know you're sorry, Rosalie," I said. "What I don't know is why you didn't tell me." - I paused - "This isn't something... sisters keep from each other."  
"Speaking of sisters..." she mumbled.  
It was like a light bulb went on in my head. "Oh my god... Alice and Jasper!"  
"Um, Bella and Edward, too," she whispered.  
"Why didn't you tell me all of this?" I shrieked.  
"I didn't want you to be overwhelmed-"  
"I feel overwhelmed now!" I shouted. "I'm overwhelmed with the fact that you, ALL of you, kept this from me!"  
"I-I don't know what else to say besides I'm sorry," Rosalie mumbled.  
I sighed. "Does... Does he make you happy?"  
She looked at me, confused. "What?"  
"Does Emmett make you happy?" I asked.  
A small smile spread on her face. "More then you can imagine."  
"Then I'm happy for you," I said. "Just... No more secrets, okay?"  
She sighed. "No more secrets."  
Her reply wasn't very convincing.  
"Now, if you'll excuse me, Rosalie, Parker and I have a movie to finish," I told her.  
She smiled and walked out of the room. Parker walked in moments later with a Pepsi in his hand.  
"For you," he said, handing me the can.  
"You are awesome, you know that?" I asked.  
"I try," he replied, then laid back down on the bed. He scooted over and made room for me.  
I watched the rest of the movie, but I could help that my gaze constantly wandered to his face. My hand twitched, and I desperately wanted to run my fingers along his perfect skin. Seeing that Rosalie and Emmett were together, same with Alice & Jasper and Bella & Edward, could me being with Parker be so wrong? We were not blood related, and I knew I had feeling for him. When he was near me, I always feel cheery. There is always a gravitational pull that moved me to him. When our skin touched, there was a electric current.  
I know I felt all of that. Did he?  
"Hey Alex, the movie's over," Parker said, dragging me out of my thoughts. "Did you even pay attention?"  
"Uh, sorry..." I mumbled. "I think I zoned out there for a little bit."  
"I'll say. I called your name three times," he told me.  
I blushed profusely. "Sorry."  
"No, it's okay," he replied. "How about you go get some lunch? I... I'm going out for a jog."  
I frowned. Did he really have to go? I wanted to hang out with him some more, but I also did NOT want to go jogging.  
"I'll be back in a little while," he said.  
Then, he did something that shocked me. He took a deep breath, then slowly kissed me on the cheek. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was pure bliss.  
He smiled a little, then ran out of the room.  
I flopped back on my bed. There was no use.  
I was falling head over heels. 

**-oOo-**

**Aww, he kissed her on the cheek!  
In the next chapter, Carlisle and Esme will be back and Alex is going on another little trip... Not with who you'd expect, though.  
Please review! If I can get more then eleven reviews, I'll probably cry. No joke.  
PS- Sorry if there is going to be a longer time between updates. I'm doing stage crew for a show and I'll have rehearsal every day until the shows...**


	13. Sun and Fun

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I would like to dedicate this chapter to a friend of mine who died of leukemia on Wednesday. He put up a strong fight, but at least now he is not suffering.  
Thank you for reading, and enjoy this chapter. It's a happy and fun chapter, so no worries. :)  
**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 13  
-oOo-  
**

****

August 10th, 2011 

I was surfing the web on my laptop when a voice from downstairs cried, "We are home!"  
Esme.  
I slammed my laptop shut and dashed down the stairs.  
"Esme!" I shouted, running into her arms to hug her. Wow, that was... bold, and unusual of my behavior. It seemed okay, though. Esme did not seem to mind one bit.  
"Well, hello there!" she giggled. "How are you? They were not too mean to you, were they?"  
I pouted, trying to be an actress. "Well..."  
She frowned and her face was immediately serious. "What happened?"  
I started laughing. "Nothing! I was just kidding."  
"Do not do that to me," she sighed, then smiled and hugged me again.  
"Hello Alex," Carlisle said, walking up to Esme and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Did you have a good time here with everyone?"  
"Yeah, I guess so..." I murmured. "I did discover something... interesting, though."  
"And what would that be?" Esme asked.  
"Did you ever plan on telling me that just about everyone in this house were together? As couples? Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, then Edward and Bella. It's all very... interesting, as I said."  
Esme frowned. "Well, we did not tell you... because..."  
"Let me guess," I said sarcastically, crossing my arms. "You didn't want to overwhelm me?"  
I heard the front door opening and I was glad for the distraction, so I walked over to the door. Bella, Nessie, and Jake came inside the house.  
"Hi Alex," Nessie said cheerfully.  
"Hey, Nessie, how are you?" I asked.  
"Good, and I have a question for you," she said.  
"What is it?"  
"Well, Jacob lives out of town, in La Push, Washington," she told me. "He was going to take me to the beach there today, because it is supposed to be sunny, and I was wondering if you would like to go."  
The beach? It would just be her, Jacob, and I. Would that make me uncomfortable?  
"That sounds like a great idea!" Esme said. "You can spend some time in the sun and maybe you and Nessie can get to know each other a little more. How about you go, Alex?"  
"Uh, yeah, that sounds like fun," I said.  
"Cool!" Nessie replied. "I'm just going to warn you, though. It's going to be about a three hour drive to get there."  
"That sounds okay," I said, then turned to Alice who just walked into the room. "Hey Alice, can you help me pick out a bathing suit?"  
She nodded once. "Sure thing," she muttered, gesturing for me to go upstairs. I walked into my room and she came in after me, shutting the door behind her.  
"You want me to pick you out a cover up, I'm guessing, right?" she questioned.  
"Y-yes," I whispered, rubbing my scar on my shoulder. "You... You haven't told anyone, have you?"  
"No," she said simply. She went into my closet and picked out a black and grey striped cover-up that reminded me of a robe, along with a navy blue bandeau bikini with a floral design and matching bottoms. The cover-up was not see through, so my scar would not be visible. The patterns of the cover-up and my swimsuit did not match, but Alice said it would not matter.  
"I know you will probably want to tan on the beach," Alice said. "So, I have a feeling that if you cover your scar with your hair, no one will notice it."  
"Thanks Alice," I sighed with relief.  
She went back into my closet and came out with matching flip-flops, a pair of oversized sunglasses, and a beach tote that already had my phone and sketchbook inside.  
"Now go get changed," she said, giving me a slight shove towards my closet. "You wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting."  
I went into my bathroom and put on my bathing suit, which fit and flattered me. Alice sure knew how to buy the right clothes...  
I made sure my cover-up was keeping my shoulders out of view as I headed down the stairs. I was met by Carlisle who was holding a bottle of sunscreen.  
"Alice insisted that I get you the oil-free type, but here is some sunscreen. The sun may not be out as much, but you still need to put some on," he told me. He tossed me the bottle and I caught it in the air. It was SPF 30, which would let me tan a little.  
"I'll put some on," I promised, putting the sunscreen in my tote bag.  
"One more thing!" Alice sang, coming over to me with a fancy beach towel. "Now have fun!"  
"Are any of you guys going to come?" I asked.  
"No, we have some things to do today," Esme said.  
"It will just be you, Jake, and I!" Nessie told me excitedly, already dressed in her bathing suit and cover-up.  
"Well, let's get a move on!" Jake said. "The drive is long."  
"Bye, Nessie," Bella said, giving her a hug. "Have fun."  
"Thanks... Bells," she said with a giggle.  
"Hey, that's _my_ nickname for her!" Jake shouted.  
"I know," Nessie chuckled, then skipped out the doorway. Jake followed her and I said a quick goodbye to Esme.  
"Do you have your phone?" she asked.  
"Yes," I said.  
"Do not be afraid to call either Carlisle or I if you need anything," she said.  
"Don't worry, I will," I reassured them.  
"Well then, have fun!" she called as I walked out the door. Sitting in the driveway was a car that looked a little older, possibly an antique.  
"This is my Rabbit," Jake said. "Fixed it up myself."  
"Really?" I asked. "That's cool."  
"He takes me for a drive in it all the time!" Nessie shouted, climbing in the passenger seat. Jake climbed in the driver's seat and I took a seat in the back.  
"You're going to get to meet all of Jake's friends!" Nessie told me excitedly. "Seth, Leah, Quil..."  
"Paul, Jared, Embry..." Jake added.  
"Maybe even Sam, Emily, and Billy!" Nessie squealed.  
"I'm sure they'll take a trip down to the beach," Jake said.  
The ride was mostly quiet for about the first hour, until my phone chimed. I took it out of my tote and it said I had one new message from Alice.  
**Check the home screen on your phone!**  
Sure enough, when I looked at the home screen, there were several apps. They were mostly games, along with one fashion app. Of course.  
**Thanks, Alice**, I texted back.  
**No problem!** she replied. **How much farther do you guys have to drive?  
About two hours, I think.**  
**Cool. Well, I've gtg. I'll talk to you later.**  
I smiled. **See ya later, Alice.**  
I played some puzzle game for almost an hour, but I figured I had to conserve my phone's battery so I stopped.  
"Do you have a lot of apps on your phone?" Nessie asked me.  
"I have a few," I told her. "Alice put them on there."  
"Of course she did," Jake chuckled.  
"My parents won't let me get an iPhone, but I have an iPod touch," Nessie said.  
"Well, Ness, you're only four...Uh, fourteen," Jake stammered. Nessie glared at him.  
"Did you just forget how old she was?" I asked with a small chuckle.  
"Uh, yeah... Sorry 'bout that, Ness," he said.  
"It's... fine," she muttered.  
Things got quiet again and I just looked out the window. The sun was pouring through the trees, and I was grateful for it. The rain was not _too_ bad, not including that storm last night, but I was happy to see some light.  
Time seemed to move quickly and before I knew it, we were in La Push. Jake drove through a winding street until he pulled up in front of a small red house. We climbed out of the car and met an older man in a wheelchair on the front porch.  
"Hello, Jacob," the man said. I had a feeling that Jake was a nickname for Jacob...  
"Hey, Dad," Jake replied, then gestured to me. "This is Alex."  
"Nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand.  
"Same to you," he said.  
"Hi Billy!" Nessie shouted, waving her hand.  
"Good to see you again, Nessie," he told her, patting her arm.  
"Are you ready to go to the beach?" Jacob asked Billy.  
"Sure am. Let's get a move on," Billy said. Jacob wheeled Billy down the ramp that led to the porch and then to his Rabbit. After he helped Billy get in the passenger side, Jake went to put the now folded up wheelchair in the trunk while Nessie and I climbed in the backseat. She was practically bouncing with excitement.  
It only took us a few minutes to reach a road near the beach. Jake parked the car by the side of the road and we walked to the beach with our stuff.  
"Hey Ness!" a voiced cried out. I looked around and I saw a boy who looked about sixteen.  
"Hiya, Seth!" Nessie replied, running to hug him.  
"You must be Alex," he said, walking over to me. "Nice to meet you."  
"Nice to meet you, too, Seth," I said, shaking his hand.  
"Hey Jacob!" a bunch of voices called out. I turned around in time to see a bunch of older looking boys running towards Jake.  
"'Sup, guys?" he said, then looked at me. "Alex, this is Quil, Jared, Paul, and Embry." He pointed to each boy as he introduced them.  
"Hi," I said simply, giving them a small wave. They all looked similar to Jake: short jet-black hair, tan skin, and very fit. They were all wearing shorts but no shirts.  
"Now, where's little Nessie?" Quil asked, feigning confusion.  
"Here I am!" she called out, coming to stand next to us.  
"Alright, good to see 'ya!" Jared said. "Want to go swimming with us?"  
"Maybe later," she said. "I'd like to sunbathe first."  
"Ugh, you're such a girl," Embry teased.  
"Well, I would certainly hope so!" she retorted. Even I had to laugh at that joke.  
"Quil! Quil!" a little girl called out.  
Quil turned around and a small girl ran into his open arms.  
"Hey Claire!" he said, hugging her tightly.  
"Stop! Stop!" she giggled. "You're going to crush me!" Claire was very cute. She glanced at me and said, "Hi, I'm Claire! I'm six!"  
"It's very nice to meet you," I told her.  
"How are you, Claire?" Nessie cooed sweetly, softly patting Claire's small fist.  
"I'm good, thank you!" she said.  
"C'mon, Jacob!" Embry cried. "Let's get in that water!"  
Jake looked at Nessie, and she gave him a small smile.  
"Go, have fun," she said. "I'll lay out my beach towel and sunbathe." She placed her hand on his arm for a few seconds and then took it away.  
Jake smiled at her then the guys.  
"Let's dive in!" he shouted.  
Jared, Paul, and Embry hollered, then they took off towards the water.  
"I'm going to build a sandcastle with Claire!" Quil called out, then they walked over to a spot somewhat close to the water.  
"Do you want to tan together?" Nessie asked me. "We can chat or something."  
"That sounds cool," I said, pulling my beach towel out of my tote. We shook out our towels then laid them side by side on the dark sand.  
"We better put on some sunscreen or Gra... Er, Carlisle will get upset if we don't."  
I nodded and took off my cover-up then quickly flipped my hair on my shoulder. I grabbed my sunscreen and starting rubbing it into my shoulders. It was necessary for me to do at least my shoulders so no one would see my scar.  
"Can you help me get my back?" Nessie asked me. She tossed me her own bottle of sun block and I squirted some in the palm of my hand.  
"So, how long have you known the Cullens?" I asked her.  
"Umm... As long as I can remember, I guess. My family and their family are really close," she told me.  
"You and Bella seem to be good friends," I added.  
"Yeah," she said with a smile. "Out of everybody in the Cullen family, Bella and I are the closest."  
"So... Is Nessie just a nickname for something else? I'm sorry I'm asking all these questions," I said.  
She giggled. "No, it's okay. My, erm, full name is Renesmee. Renesmee Carlie Masen. Jacob came up with my nickname because he said my full name was a mouthful."  
"I think it's pretty," I said truthfully. "Very unique."  
"Thanks," she said.  
I handed her the bottle. "You're all done. Well, your back at least."  
"Thank you! Do you want me to do your back?"  
"Sure. I, uh, already got my shoulders so you don't need to worry about that."  
"Okay," she said, then began to put on my sunscreen. "So, now you've got me asking questions. I'm guessing Alex is _your_ nickname?"  
"Yep," I said with a chuckle. "Alexandra is my full name, but like yours, it's a mouthful."  
"What's your middle name?" she inquired.  
"Um, I don't know. It might be Marie or something," I mumbled.  
She paused. "You don't know your middle name?"  
"Not really, but if I looked at my birth certificate I would know. I'm pretty sure it's Marie..."  
She nodded as she squeezed more sunscreen into her hands, then looked out at the boys in the water.  
"You and Jake seem pretty close," I observed. Well, that may be an understatement...  
"We've been friends for practically forever," she murmured, still staring out into the water.  
"That's cool..." I said.  
She nodded then closed my bottle of sunscreen.  
"You're back is all done," she told me.  
"Thank you," I said, squirting some sunscreen in my palms and applying it on my arms and legs. When I was done, Nessie was lying on her stomach, flipping through a fashion magazine.  
"Did Alice give you that?" I asked with a giggle.  
"Of course," she chuckled. "Everything I know about fashion I learned from Alice and the magazines she gave me."  
I laughed as she pulled another magazine out of her bag.  
"You want this magazine?" she questioned. I nodded and she handed it to me.  
"Ah, this is the life," she murmured. "Lounging on beach towels, sunbathing and reading fashion magazines."  
"Cheers to relaxation," I said.  
She giggled as I moved to lay on my back. We read for quite some time until it seemed that something blocked out the sun. I expected to see some clouds in the sky as I moved my magazine from my gaze, but it was a person.  
"Nessie!" Jake hollered. "Come get in the water with us! You too, Alex!"  
Nessie looked at me and raised her eyebrow.  
"Shall we?" she asked.  
I smiled. "We shall."  
"Yeah, awesome!" Jake cheered. Nessie and I slipped off our cover-ups then followed Jake out into the water. The water was pretty cold and Nessie and I squealed when the waves lapped against our skin.  
"Stop being such girls!" Jake joked.  
"We _are_ girls, Jake!" Nessie yelled.  
Jake's friends were farther out and they were dunking each other below the water.  
We spent almost an hour in the water, splashing each other and gliding through the waves. Eventually, though, Nessie and I got tired so we went back to lay on our beach towels. Jake, Quil, and Claire stayed on the beach while the other boys went for a jog.  
"Jacob!" a voice called out. I turned to look at the source of the voice and a man came walking with a woman down to the sand.  
"Hey Sam, Emily, good to see you," Jake said in reply. The man in the wheelchair seemed older, so he probably was Jake's father.  
"Don't stare," Jake whispered in my ear.  
Why would he tell me not to stare? Well, that question was answered when I got a closer look at Emily. Down the side of her face and down her arm was a long, deep scar that almost seemed like claw marks.  
"Hello, I'm Emily," she said, reaching her hand out to shake mine.  
"I'm Alex," I said, focusing on looking into her eyes and not at the scar.  
"My name is Sam," the man said, shaking my hand when Emily was finished.  
"It's nice to meet you all," I replied.  
"Same to you," Emily said with a smile.  
I heard screaming all of the sudden, and I whipped my head around in time to see someone falling off a cliff. Did he slip or something? I then saw how rough the water was by where he jumped. Would he drown?  
"Alex, don't worry," Nessie said, sensing my worry. "They are just cliff diving."  
I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Cliff diving?"  
"It's a recreational thing us boys on the Rez do," Jake told me.  
The boy that jumped crashed through the surface of the water. His head popped up seconds later, then he gave a thumbs up to everyone watching.  
"See? He's all good," Jake muttered.  
"Well, we just wanted to stop by and say hello," Sam said. "It may be a good time to head out, Jacob. You have a long drive ahead of you, and I'm sure these ladies need to eat and get some sleep."  
"You're probably right," Jake agreed. "Well, ladies, let's pack up your stuff."  
"Don't leave without me saying goodbye!" Seth called out, jogging down to where we stood.  
Nessie and I rolled up our towels, slipped on our cover-ups, and put away our magazines in our totes.  
After receiving a chorus of goodbyes, Jake, Nessie, and I climbed into Jake's car, and off we drove. Nessie fell asleep just a short time after we left, and eventually I did, too. Pretty sad for a sixteen year old... 

**  
-oOo-**

**Yay, fun day at the beach! Well, let me just say, things are about to get... interesting.**


	14. Mirror, Mirror

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 14  
-oOo-  
**

****

August 11th, 2011 

Jake ended up arriving at my house at about six-thirty. As soon as he dropped me off, he left to take Nessie home. When I got to the front door, Alice opened it and the smell of pasta sauce drifted in the air.  
"Mmm, something smells really good," I murmured as I walked through the door.  
"Hello to you, too," Alice joked.  
"Oops, hi," I giggled.  
"Hi," she replied with a smile. "Now, Esme made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, but we kind of already ate before you got home... I hope you don't mind."  
"No, it's fine, Alice," I said.  
She smiled. "Good. Now, go upstairs and change into something else. Heck, you could even change into pajamas."  
"Pajamas sound nice right now, seeing as I fell asleep in the car on the way back," I said.  
"Aww, you're so cute!" she giggled, pinching my cheek like a stereotypical grandmother.  
"It makes me feel like a kid. Well, at least Nessie slept, too."  
Alice looked like she was holding back laughter.  
"What's so funny?" I asked her.  
"Nothing, nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Just go get changed!"  
I slipped into pajama boxer shorts, a sleep tee, and comfortable slippers before I headed downstairs.  
"Hello Alex," Esme said sweetly as I walked into the kitchen. It smelly even better in here... "How was your beach trip?"  
"It was a lot of fun," I said. "It wore me out, though."  
She chuckled. "Will some food make you feel better?"  
"I think your food can make anything better," I told her with a giggle. "Let me just say that it smells amazing in here."  
"Thank you," she said. "It is always nice to be complemented on my cooking."  
She scooped some spaghetti noodles into a bowl and put the meatballs and sauce on top while I grabbed a soda can and a glass of ice.  
I ate my dinner while Esme asked me questions about the trip, like what I did and how the weather was. When I was finished eating, I placed my dishes in the sink and watched a movie on television with Rosalie. Esme soon came in and watched with us. The movie was a romantic comedy, and at times it had the three of us doubled over with laughter. Carlisle came downstairs to see what all the laughing was about.  
"We were just watching a funny movie," I told him.  
When the movie was over, it was ten o'clock and I was extremely tired from the long day, even though I slept in the car. I wished everyone goodnight and headed up to bed.  
It did not take long for me to fall asleep, but when I did, a nightmare occurred. This one was different from the others, though.  
It was worse.  
It started off as my latest nightmares have. I was running in the forest, all alone. The trees whooshed by me in wisps of green. There was no animals or other people.  
It was only me.  
I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I could hear my feet pounding against the wet forest ground below me.  
There was no other sound.  
I kept running and running until I was tackled to the ground by some superhuman force.  
"Bad choice, Alex," that same menacing voice said. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."  
This was where things got different.  
"Stop, let me go!" I mumbled, but the sound seemed cloudy and far away.  
The next thing I know, the scene changes, and it seems like I am in a poorly lit cave. There is a tall man in front of me, but his face is so blurry that it looks like he does not even have one.  
"Look at you," he said. "Sitting here, so weak and so defenseless."  
My body felt like lead. I could not move.  
"You should see how pitiful you look," he sneered. "You'd probably cry even more then you already have."  
Had I been crying? Suddenly, my cheeks felt like there were rivers flowing along them. What was I doing here, and who was this man?  
"They never loved you, you know," he said. "They just pitied you."  
I wanted to ask who he was talking about. My thoughts were as clear as bells in my head, but my lips could not seem to move.  
"I bet you don't believe me, do you?" he asked. How could I believe what he is saying if I do not know who he is talking about?  
Suddenly, his face was full of rage. His clothes seemed different but the setting was the same. It was like it was a different day in the same place.  
"You thought you could run away, did you?" he screamed. "Well, that was a bad move on your part!"  
His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out something. I could not see it at first, but when his fist unclenched, I saw what it was.  
A pocket knife.  
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run, kick, hide, _something_, but I could not move. It was like I was part of the floor.  
He moved closer to me and flipped the knife open, revealing the blade. A beam of light caught the metal and it shimmered, sending chills down my spine. Was he going to kill me?  
He got closer and closer until I felt something cool press into my shoulder: the blade.  
I woke with a scream.  
It was three in the morning, and I was safe in my bed. My forehead was coated with sweat and a few loose strands of hair stuck to it.  
The door to my room busted open and Carlisle and Esme came running in.  
"What is wrong?" Esme asked frantically.  
"We heard you scream," Carlisle added.  
"I-I'm sorry if I woke you," I muttered. "I just had a nightmare, that's all."  
"Do you want to talk about it? What happened in it?" Esme questioned. I looked at her golden eyes and something dawned on me. The man in my dream said that "they" never loved me, and "they" just pitied me. Could he be talking about Carlisle and Esme? I know it was only a dream, but they could always be a part of it.  
"I don't really remember what happened..." I lied, looking down at my hands.  
"You cannot remember _anything_ about it?" Carlisle asked.  
"Well... There was something to do with a forest..." I said. Talking about a forest would not really give anything away.  
"A forest? Can... Can you remember anything else?" Esme asked.  
I shook my head. Please do not see through the lie...  
"Well, it was just a nightmare," Esme said, rubbing my arm. "How about you go back to sleep?"  
"Okay," I said quietly, sliding back underneath the covers of my bed.  
"Goodnight, Alex," Carlisle murmured quietly, patting me on the arm before he left my room.  
Esme leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."  
I heard the door shut before I drifted back to sleep.  
Lucky for me, there was not another nightmare that night. I woke up at nine to find that Esme made cinnamon rolls again.  
The day was rather uneventful, basically just a lazy day. I spent most of my time sitting on the couch and using my computer. Emmett had bought me a Sims video game and, using a cheat code to get lots of money, I built a giant mansion for my Sim. Emmett told me the code, of course.  
The day seemed to go by extremely quickly, probably because I was on the computer for almost the entire day. When it was time to go to bed, I hoped that I would not have another nightmare.  
I did, though.  
Something was holding me very tightly and I could not move anywhere. Green shapes that seemed to be trees rushed by me at lightning-fast speeds. I had no idea where I was going, and what was holding me.  
I pounded on the stone that held me and I found them to be arms.  
"Let me go!" I cried.  
Suddenly, there were loud cracking noises. I moved my gaze ever so slightly to see large, towering trees coming crashing to the forest floor. For some reason, this brought a feeling of distress in the back of my mind, but I had no idea why.  
"Oh, you are ever so annoying! Well, I can shut you up for a while. Besides, you won't remember them for long. Cherish their voices, because this will be the last time you hear them!" a male voice said from beside me. I figured it was the voice of my captor.  
"Alex!" I heard somebody scream, but it seemed so far away. I wanted to run to the voice...  
My captor began to laugh the most evil laugh I have ever heard. His one sentence chilled me to the core. It should not have, but it did.  
"Wake up, Alex."  
I shot up in my bed. Luckily, I did not scream this time, so hopefully I did not wake anybody up.  
I trudged to my bathroom to run some cold water on my face, feeling like I needed it.  
I looked in the mirror and I could not help but scream. 

_**I ABDUCTED YOU ONCE.  
DON'T THINK I WON'T DO IT AGAIN.  
- J**_

A tube of my lipstick was open on the counter. Whoever wrote the message used my lipstick to do it. The color looked a lot like... blood.  
"What's wrong?" Esme shouted, running into the bathroom with Rosalie and Alice.  
I was too shocked to speak, so I just pointed to the mirror.  
"Dammit!" Alice shouted. "This can't be happening!" She ran out of the bathroom rubbing her temples.  
Rosalie, for some reason, sniffed the air.  
"Unbelievable," she muttered.  
"Is it the same?" Esme asked quietly. Rosalie nodded.  
"What is the same? What's going on?" I asked frantically, gaining back my voice.  
Rosalie ran out of the bathroom, calling for Carlisle.  
Upcoming tears were stinging my eyes. "Please, tell me what is going on!" I begged.  
Esme sighed. "Alex, I think you should come downstairs. There is a lot that needs to be said." 

**-oOo-  
**

**Duh, duh, DUH! Sorry to leave a cliffhanger, but it was oh so necessary...  
Please leave me a review!  
**


	15. Bombshell

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
EXTREMELY LONG CHAPTER ALERT: 6,560 words, NOT including the Author's Notes!**

****

Their Girl?  
Chapter 15  
-oOo-  


****

August 13th, 2011 

Esme led me downstairs and everybody was there, Nessie and Jake included. When had they gotten here?  
Carlisle was sitting at the end seat on the left side of the dining room table, his hands folded. Jasper and Alice were standing by the backdoor. Jasper was looking outside but Alice had her eyes closed. Rosalie and Emmett were sitting at the table across from Carlisle, leaving one seat on the end. The space at the very end of the table, the seat I always associated with "the head of the table" was also vacant. Edward, Bella, Nessie, and Jake, who were originally standing, sat down at the end of the table.  
"Everybody please take a seat," Carlisle said, gesturing to the table. Everybody moved to chairs, and I saw Parker emerge from the shadows in the corner of the room.  
I just stared at everyone, not able to move. What was this all about, and what did it have to do with the writing on the mirror?  
"Alex, you can sit down, too," Esme said, gesturing to the "head of the table". Why would she want me to sit there?  
I slowly walked over to them and sat down.  
"First of all, Alex, I need to say that I am sorry for all of this. It... may be a lot to take in," Carlisle said.  
"What we need you to do is please, just promise you will listen to everything," Esme added.  
What in the world are they even talking about?  
"They are talking about something important, Alex," Edward said, almost seeming to answer my thoughts. "Please promise you'll listen."  
I looked at everyone, and they seemed to have pleading eyes.  
"I promise," I said quietly, unsure if I really meant it.  
"Good," Esme murmured. "Now... Carlisle, would you like to do this?"  
"Certainly," he said with a nod. "Alex... I am going to start this off with a less... revealing story. Well... Alex, you knew us before you were adopted. Since you were thirteen, actually. The reason you do not remember that is because you lost your memory."  
I looked at him, dumbfounded. Was this a joke? If it is, it is not very funny.  
"I know you may not believe us," Carlisle said, "But you promised to listen. You did actually live in Port Townsend, Washington for most of your life, but you ran away when you were fourteen in June of 2009. You traveled for weeks, I believe, but you ended up in Forks, Washington. We lived there at the time and you came up to the doorstep. I remember it like it was yesterday. You rang the doorbell and began to speak before you passed out and I caught you in my arms.  
"When you woke up, you were distraught and apologizing profusely for being there, but Esme and I did not mind. We liked you from the start, Alex, and when everyone met you for the first time, they did too.  
"You stayed with us for a couple days, and during those few days you managed to fit right into our family. I remember that Alice ordered you a whole new summer wardrobe. Then, as Esme and I discussed, we knew we had to take you back to the foster home, and it pained us to do so. Esme was especially upset, having wanted to adopt you. I drove you home that summer day, back to Port Townsend, thinking in my mind that it was... the right thing to do, bringing you back. However, when I saw the way the woman who ran the foster home treated you, Miss Grimweld I believe her name was, I adopted you right there and then.  
Everyone was extremely ecstatic when I brought you back, and we were happy for two weeks... until an incident occurred."  
He looked at me, probably thinking I was going to ask him what the incident was. I was not so sure I believed all of this, though, so I kept my mouth shut.  
"She's doubting you, Carlisle, and she's not going to ask any questions, so you might as well keep going," Edward said. How did he know that? It must have been obvious...  
"Well, then I guess I will continue," Carlisle muttered. "Everybody had gone away for the weekend besides you, Esme, and I, Alex. It was a rare, sunny day in Forks, and you decided to go for a walk. You went along a path, but you walked too far from the house and... you were kidnapped."  
I stared at Carlisle in disbelief. Where was he getting all of this stuff from?  
"They took you away in a private jet, to a hidden cave location in the deserts of Australia. A... male was there who was in charge of everyone, and his name was Nathaniel. He was an evil man, Alex, keeping hundreds of children prisoners there and had servants. That, however, is where you first met Parker."  
I looked over at Parker and he gave me a tentative smile.  
"When you were being held there, Nathaniel revealed a secret that we were trying to keep from you. Now, this may sound like the most crazy thing you have ever heard, but he told you that... we were vampires, and he was right. He was even one, too."  
I started laughing, which was rude, but I could not help it. This was absolutely insane! Vampires do not even exist, and now they want me to believe that is what they are? What were they going to do, suck my blood?  
"He's not kidding, Alex," Edward said sternly.  
I whipped my head and glared at him. "How do you keep answering all of my questions when I don't even _say_ anything!"  
"I can read minds. Some vampires posses special gifts, and I am one of them. Alice can also see the future, Jasper can affect emotions, Bella has a strong mental shield, and Renesmee, who is a half-human half-vampire hybrid, can show you her thoughts by touch," he told me.  
"Vampires? Hybrids? Special gifts?" I shrieked. "Do you really expect me to believe _any_ of this? This is crazy!"  
"You promised you would listen, and Carlisle is not finished yet," Edward said.  
I huffed, then turned to look at Carlisle.  
"Well, as I was saying, Nathaniel kept you hostage for several days, and that was when you found out more about vampires and hybrids. Parker, at the time, was actually a hybrid. Now, he is a full vampire."  
I wanted to asked if he morphed or something, but then I realized that this was insane. Why am I being so drawn into this?  
"Parker didn't exactly morph, Alex. He was changed by a wandering nomad," Edward said, once again answering my thoughts. Maybe he could read minds... It wouldn't be surprising.  
"Wait, Edward," I said slowly, looking at him. "If you _supposedly_ can read minds, can you see people's dreams why they are occurring?"  
"I was wondering if it would click," he murmured. "Alex, the reason Rosalie, Emmett, and I were so upset that morning was because I saw your dream."  
"Oh yeah? Prove it," I hissed, crossing my arms.  
"You were running alone in a forest. A man then tackled you to the ground and said, 'Bad choice, Alex. I thought you'd be smarter than that'. Then you woke up," he said. My eyes widened. It was almost like he had seen my dream in movies.  
"Do you believe him now?" Carlisle asked.  
I looked back at him. "Can you continued with the story?"  
"Well, we chased you across the planet, Alex. Now, Edward was correct in saying that Alice could see the future, but not when hybrids were involved. That was Nathaniel's plan, keeping Parker around so we could not use Alice's skill to find you. We did, however, using... force," Carlisle said.  
"Let's just say some bad vamps went down," Emmett said.  
"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed, smacking him on the arm.  
"Anyway," Carlisle muttered. "We did manage to find you in several days' time, and there was a battle to get you back."  
"You... You fought over me?" I asked, but it kind of sounded like a squeak. Wait, I needed to keep telling myself that this was not real...  
Esme nodded in response to my question. "We were desperate to get you back, and it turns out Nathaniel was holding you as a bargaining tool."  
"He knew many of us possessed significant gifts," Carlisle said. "He wanted us to become some of his servants and part of his army. As a quest to get you back, we... killed him, and his followers."  
"W-what about Parker?" I asked, looking at him.  
"I wasn't loyal to him, even though I served him," Parker muttered. "I was out hunting when I saw everyone advancing on Nathaniel's cave. Since Edward could read minds, he read yours and mine, which meant he knew we had formed a... friendship."  
"We had?" I asked. Parker nodded in response.  
"I'd say it was more than a friendship," Emmett sang. Rosalie smacked him again.  
I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean by _that_?" I barked.  
"Now look what you've done," Rosalie growled at Emmett.  
"You might as well spit it out now, Emmett," Edward said. "It's all she's focused on."  
I glared at him, then looked back at Emmett.  
"Your feeling haven't changed for Parker, have they?" Emmett inquired.  
"W-what feelings?" I stammered. Could he be addressing my crush towards Parker? Oh no, was it obvious that I had feelings for him? Would that mean that Parker had noticed? He probably would think I was creepy...  
"Alex, calm down, you're giving me a head rush," Edward said.  
"I didn't really say much," I replied.  
"Not at loud, at least," he muttered.  
I groaned. Why did he have to be so annoying?  
"I'm not trying to be annoying," he told me. "I'm just trying to state the obvious."  
"Edward..." Esme said in a warning tone.  
Emmett cleared his throat. "Well, as I was _saying_, you and Parker... were, um, together... together together, as in you both liked each other."  
I just stared at Emmett. Well, this was... interesting. I just kept wondering if any of this was true. If it was, however, would I say that I was upset about it, No. I really liked Parker. A LOT. Shoot, it dawned on me that Edward was probably reading my thoughts.  
"Don't worry Parker," Edward said, probably answering Parker's thoughts. "She's not upset. Quite the opposite, actually."  
"Edward!" I shrieked.  
"Edward, be polite and try not say what Alex is thinking out loud," Esme scolded.  
I looked at Parker, but he was staring at the table, seeming upset. Was he embarrassed by all of this? If this was all a bunch of lies, is he trying to hide the fact?  
"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked quietly. "It would have eliminated a lot of awkwardness."  
I swore I could see him smile a bit.  
"Back to the tale," Carlisle said. "After we had rescued you, Alex, we were taking you back to Forks, but Parker stayed behind in Australia. Many of the small children had families, and his goal was to get them all back to their homes.  
"You were upset that we had to leave Parker behind, but he promised you that he would find you again as soon as the time came."  
I looked at Parker, but he was still staring blankly at the table.  
"Is that true?" I asked him. He looked at me and, to me, he looked like a sad puppy that had been kicked one too many times. If he happened to be serving this so-called Nathaniel, maybe he WAS kicked around.  
"Is that true?" I asked again.  
He nodded once, then looked back at the table. His response was not very convincing.  
"After we got back from Australia, it was July 17th. The next day was a very special day for all of us," Carlisle said.  
"July 18th... M-my birthday," I murmured.  
"Yes, your fourteenth birthday," Esme said. "We threw you a surprise party, and it was the first birthday celebration you had ever had. There was cake and presents... but we will come back to those little details.  
"It was the day after your birthday that we decided that we had to move again," Esme said. "Let me just tell you that we are not like the vampires you read about in books or see in movies."  
"We don't drink the blood of humans," Edward said flatly.  
"Oh, thank goodness," I sighed with fake relief. "Because that was really my first concern here."  
Edward narrowed his eyes at me. Did he really expect me to believe that they were vampires, or _any_ of this for that matter?  
"Alex, please try to be nice to your brother," Esme said.  
"Even though he may be acting annoying..." Alice added.  
"Alice," Esme scolded.  
"As Esme was saying," Carlisle said, "We are not like the stereotypical vampires. We have chose to live what we call a 'vegetarian' lifestyle, drinking only the blood of animals. We cannot cry. There are no coffins in this house that we sleep in. Actually, we do not sleep at all. We also do not age, remaining what we look like now permanently. And, I am sure you were wondering about this, garlic has no effect on us and we can go out in the sun. We choose not to go in the sun, however, because if we do, our skin... sparkles... like millions of diamonds."  
"Are you guys sure you're vampires?" I asked sarcastically.  
"Like I said, ignore the stereotypes," Carlisle chuckled. How could be laughing about something like this? "So, we had been living in the town of Forks for several years, and everyone had technically graduated. They all were known to be eighteen or older to everyone in town-"  
"Wait, so how old is everybody here?" I asked, wondering what they would come up with.  
"One-hundred and ten," Edward said.  
"Ninety-six," Emmett said.  
"Same with me," Rosalie added, putting her hand on Emmett's.  
"I'm one-hundred and ten as well," Alice told me. "Same as Edward."  
"I'm one-hundred and sixty-eight," Jasper said. "And all of these numbers are based off of our birth dates, not transformation dates."  
I looked at Carlisle and Esme. "How old are you two?"  
"I am three-hundred and sixty-eight," Carlisle said.  
"I am not nearly as old as Carlisle," Esme said with a small giggle. "I am only one-hundred and sixteen."  
"I'm four," Nessie said.  
This really got my attention, for some reason. I whipped my head around to look at her. "You're _how_ old?"  
"She's four," Jake said. "Born September 10th, 2006."  
"I'll be five next month!" she said excitedly.  
"But... But how? You... You look fourteen!" I stammered. How was I getting sucked into this?  
"Nessie, being a hybrid, ages and matures extremely quickly," Carlisle explained. "She will stop growing when she looks seventeen, which will be when is about seven years old."  
I looked her over. "Wait. Nessie... Who are your parents?"  
Nessie's hand slid onto Bella's. My eyes widened.  
"Yes, Alex, Bella and I are Renesmee's biological parents," Edward said.  
I gave Bella a small smile. "You never did tell me how old you were."  
She smiled back. "I'm twenty-three, but I would be turning twenty-four on September 13th."  
"You had Nessie when you were nineteen?" I asked.  
"Three days before I turned nineteen, actually," Bella said with a nervous chuckle.  
"We, at the time, did not know that vampires could impregnate humans," Edward told me.  
Bella looked like she would be blushing if she could.  
"Well, after that little tidbit of information..." Carlisle muttered. "As I was saying, we had been living in Forks for several years and I was supposed to be older then I looked, along with everyone else. If we stayed for too long, our cover would be blown, so we looked into moving somewhere else. It had to be a rainy, cloudy place, since we could not go out into the sun, and we found a large lot for sale in the town of Astoria, Oregon.  
"We had a family meeting to discuss our plans of moving. Since everybody besides you had to start high school again, we decided Alice would be a freshmen like you, Edward, Bella, and Jasper would be sophomores, and Emmett and Bella would juniors.  
"You were upset at us making plans for the future because Parker had not found us yet. Then, two weeks after our meeting, it was later in August. You were sitting outside with Esme, when someone you could not see starting speaking to you. It was Parker, and he was a full vampire.  
"This was difficult for the both of you. Since his senses were heightened, it was harder for him to be around you-"  
"Why?" I interrupted.  
"The smell of your blood," Parker said flatly, not looking up from the table.  
"Oh," I muttered, looking at my hands.  
"You two loved each other, like I love Esme, like Edward loves Bella, like-"  
"Okay, I get it!" I shouted, wanting him to stop.  
"I apologize," Carlisle said. "So, Parker came back like I said, and a few days later we moved to Astoria. On August 24th, you all started school. It went well... for the most part. Alex, you made a new friend named Macey. You two were very close, and one day, she offered to drive you home from school. It was September 30th, a rare sunny day, and everyone besides you had to stay home. Beforehand, however, you were confronted with a nasty girl named Iris. She had been teasing you because she was jealous of you and your siblings. You were leaving school when she and two of her friends approached you at your locker. Since you were the only one in the family at school that day, Iris felt that she could torment you freely. You were wearing a locket-"  
"It was one of the presents you got for your birthday," Alice said. "It was from Edward, Bella, and Nessie, and had an engraved birthday message on the back."  
"Yes," Carlisle murmured. "So, Iris decided that she would ruin your necklace by tugging on it so hard that the chain broke. She then threw it on the ground and scratched it up by grinding the heel of her shoe into it.  
"This was extremely upsetting to you, but you made your way to find Macey so you could go home. Macey's mom was driving you home, until..."  
"Until what?" I asked.  
"The car accident," Alice whispered.  
"A car accident? I was in a car accident?" I asked, bewildered. Try not to get sucked into this, try not to get sucked into this...  
"You were put into the hospital because of it," Esme whispered. She sounded like the memory almost brought tears to her eyes. If the tales were true, could she cry?  
"A tractor trailer came speeding into the side of Macey's mother's car that you were sitting in," Carlisle told me. "The impact of the tractor trailer pushed the car into traffic which caused an SUV to slam into the opposite side. All of this caused your seatbelts to snap and windows to shatter. When the SUV collided with the car, you were ejected from the vehicle."  
"Ejected?" I questioned. "By ejected, do you mean-"  
"You were forced out of the car and flew into the air," Carlisle said. "The way you landed in the road caused several bones in your left foot and your left wrist to break."  
"That is why you were put in the hospital," Esme whispered.  
"We were all really scared," Alice said. "In my vision of you, you were flying in the air, then landed on the ground and it all went black. It made me think that... that... that you were dead.  
"It turns out Jacob found you, though. He was on his way to our home so he could spend some time with Nessie. He recognized your face from the battle in Australia, and since I can't see shape-shifters in my visions-"  
"Whoa, hold on a second," I said. "Did you say _shape-shifter_?"  
"I am a shape-shifter," Jake said.  
"He can shift into a huge wolf!" Nessie squealed excitedly. "He always gives me rides on his back, and it's really fun."  
"Shape-shifters, along with all these other fantasy creatures?" I shouted. "You have got to be kidding me!"  
"Alex, please, Carlisle is almost done. Please listen," Esme pleaded.  
I sighed. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. Please continue."  
"It is fine," he replied. "Now, you were in the hospital for two weeks. It was a very exciting time when you came back. School days passed, and before we knew it, it was the last half day before Thanksgiving break. You and Edward had a little bit of a fight because of it, because you thought of our Thanksgiving as a big hunting trip. Of course, your conflict was resolved, but not before an even bigger conflict arrived. We thought, at the time, that it would be the biggest trouble our family would face."  
"And this conflict was?" I inquired.  
"The Volturi came," Alice whispered.  
"What is the Volturi?" I asked.  
"They are the extremely powerful leaders of the vampire world," Carlisle told me. "They have created the laws by which our kind must abide by."  
"We broke one of those laws, Alex," Rosalie said.  
"And what was the law?" I asked.  
"To keep the existence of our kind a secret," she said. "You knew what we were, Alex, and the Volturi didn't want that."  
I turned to Carlisle. "Didn't you say that Nathaniel told me what you were?"  
"Yes," he said. "That did not matter to the Volturi, though. Now, I must tell you about the Volturi. The three leaders are Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They are the rulers, and then they have their guard. The guard consists of many vampires that have extremely powerful gifts. Some of their strongest members- Jane, Alec, Dimitri, and Felix- came to summon you, Esme, and I to Italy to speak with Aro, Caius, and Marcus.  
"Jane was the main one to speak to us, and she has an extremely powerful gift. Her power is to make her victim feel like they are burning alive. The only other we knew that had that ability was Adrienne, who worked for Nathaniel. She was killed in the Australian battle.  
"Jane tried to use her power on you, Alex, but it was rendered useless. Bella's ability, the mental shield, can block out all mental powers. She has had much practice with her gift, and she was able to protect all the minds she wanted to in the house. When Jane tried to attack your mind, it did not work.  
"Jane was frustrated that she could use her ability to amuse herself, but then she did what she came to our home to do. She told you, Esme, and I that we had to come to Volterra, Italy, where the Volturi reside, and that we could bring two others in our family. She made you pick, however, and you picked Alice and Jasper. It was a smart choice, because we used Alice and Jasper's gifts to help us out.  
"We left for Italy the next morning, and landed in Rome later in the day in their time. We were met by Dimitri and Felix when we made it to Volterra, and they told us that Aro, Caius, and Marcus were... preoccupied, so we would have to meet them the next day. They showed us to a small motel in the town, where we stayed the night. There was only one bedroom, but since you were the only one who slept, it was not a problem.  
"The five of us met Dimitri and Felix in an alleyway that served as an entry into the Volturi's castle. However, Alice and Jasper were not allowed to come in with us. That was when we realized something bad was going to happen.  
"Felix and Dimitri led you, Esme, and I into Aro, Caius, and Marcus' throne room. Esme and I were immediately snatched by other members of the guard, leaving you in the middle of the throne room. Aro stood up from his throne and walked towards you. Esme and I were afraid. We were afraid he was going to harm you. We were afraid that he was going to harm someone else in the family.  
"Aro's special gift is that he can read every though you have ever had with a simple touch. He grabbed your hand, and suddenly he could see every single one of your thoughts. Everything you have experienced in your life, he now knew about, and he used it against you. When you begged him to stop, he commanded Jane to torture you. Esme and I could not stand to see you laying on the ground, screaming and withering in agony. The vampires that were holding us, however, were extremely strong, but Esme managed to break free from her captor's grasp and get to you. She flung herself on top of you, then Jane started torturing her."  
"You begged Aro to stop, and to torture you instead," Esme murmured. "I can remember, when the pain died down, that you had your arms wrapped around me protectively. Aro laughed at you, saying how interesting it was that you would rather yourself be tortured then one of us.  
"There were tears on your face, but you looked him directly in the eyes and said, 'I would do anything for my family.'  
"The vampire that was holding me originally came and yanked me back up off the floor and over next to Carlisle. Aro then told us that for breaking the law of exposure for a second time, we had been sentenced to death."  
"When was the first time you broke that law?" I asked.  
"With Bella," Edward said.  
"I figured out what they were on my own, though," she said quietly.  
"After Aro sentenced us to execution, we had to watch you be taken out of the throne room," Carlisle said to me. "It was hard, almost one of the most difficult things we had to do. After you were gone, we were taken away to a small dungeon cell. This was one of the times where both Esme and I wished we could see. How nice it would be to just slip away, if only for a few hours. Maybe even a few minutes... But alas, the more we had to stay awake, the more our thoughts tormented us. We thought of the family, and everyone we would have to leave behind. We thought of each other.  
"Suddenly, it was Saturday, and two of the members of the guard came down to our cell. They told us that Aro wished to see us. We were worried that this could be the end, and we had not heard from you or Alice. It made us think that Aro just _said_ you could say a final goodbye, but would not fulfill his promise.  
"When we were brought into the throne room, we were overjoyed to see you and Alice. You were standing in the middle of the room, Alice slightly behind you. There was something different about you, Alex, that was noticeable. You had came with a plan to free us.  
"Usually, Aro would not listen to reasoning, but something you did that day persuaded him to listen. You said to Aro that three weeks from your eighteenth birthday, you would... go through the transformation from human to vampire-"  
"What?" I shrieked. "What?"  
I slid my chair back and leapt up.  
"This is where I draw the line! You can't possibly be telling me that I sold my future to some vampire leader! This is insane! Vampires. Don't. Even. Exist!" I screamed. "I just... I can't listen to this anymore. I know I promised, but I just can't..."  
I quickly turned to dash upstairs, but something grabbed my wrist before I even got close to the stairs. I turned around and it was Esme. Whoa, how did she get to me so fast?  
"You promised you would listen," she whispered. "You cannot leave now. Especially when we have proof."  
"Proof? What proof?" I spat.  
She looked at Rosalie. "Bring everything downstairs."  
Suddenly, Rosalie dashed up the stairs and back in the blink of an eye. She was holding some belongings in her hands.  
"B-b-but... How did you... You were just here, and then you moved..." I stammered.  
"That is part of the proof: super speed," she said. "We told you that we were vampires."  
I just stared at her. How had she managed to move upstairs and back in the speed of light? Vampires did not exist, I had to keep telling myself.  
"Now," Esme said, leading me back to my seat. "Here is some of the other proof."  
Carlisle placed a drawing in front of me. I recognized the drawing as my favorite, the one I drew of the white roses in a vase.  
"How is this proof?" I asked. "It's a drawing I did back at the foster home in Maryland."  
"You always sign the bottom right hand corner of your drawings and leave the date, right?" Edward asked.  
"How did you know that?" I questioned.  
He pointed to his head, as in a gesture that he read my mind.  
"Look at the date," Carlisle said, pointing to the corner.  
Sure enough, my signature was there, but the date was different: July 10th, 2009.  
"The date could have been altered," I muttered, crossing my arms.  
Carlisle placed another piece of paper down next to my drawing. It was a spitting image of the first, and when I looked down at the right hand corner, my signature was there along with the original date that I drew the picture.  
"The... the picture could have been copied," I stammered.  
"How could they be so identical?" Edward asked.  
"Ever heard of a tracing table?" I retorted.  
"Well, look at this," Alice said. She placed what looked like a broken necklace in front of me.  
"Your locket," Rosalie whispered.  
I looked at the chain, and I could see where it was broken. I picked up the silver heart, which was loaded with scratches. Looking at the back, I could see the faint engraving of words: Happy 14th Birthday, Alex. The rest was too scratched out to read.  
It did look just like how they described it, but it could have been staged. Easily faked.  
"She doesn't believe this either, Carlisle," Edward muttered. "Just show her the book."  
"What book?" I asked.  
"Your scrapbook," Rosalie murmured. "It was a present from Emmett and I for your birthday."  
"You never mentioned anything about a scrapbook..." I said as Carlisle slid the book to me. It was beautifully decorated, with a white rose decal on the front.  
I opened to the first decorated page and gasped at what I saw. A picture of Edward, Bella, and a small girl, who looked about five or six, was inside. There were also pictures of everybody as a couple: Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle, and... Parker and I. Except, the picture of me was different. I was younger-looking and shorter. My hair was shoulder-length and the same dirty-blonde shade, but there was no pink streak. I looked at my nose and there was no diamond stud.  
Turning the page, I found a picture of everybody. I was in the middle of the front row and everyone was surrounding me.  
It was a picture of me at the age of fourteen.  
This could not have been edited. If Carlisle and Esme had just met me in Maryland, then how could they have gotten a photo of me? Miss Mayweather did not take pictures, and Mr. Johnson did not bring any pictures of me with him.  
"I... I don't believe it..." I whispered.  
"Do you believe us now?" Esme asked. "Is the scrapbook enough proof?"  
"Yes... I'm sorry I didn't believe you..." I said. "But, this is still crazy! All this time, I had this whole other part of my life that had been wiped from my memory."  
Then something dawned on me...  
"You lied to me!" I yelled at her, standing up from my seat. "On the plane, you said you weren't keeping anything from me!"  
"We kept it from you until now so you would not be overwhelmed," Esme whispered.  
"Well, if I supposedly already knew about all of this, then why couldn't you have just told me when you adopted me, instead of _lying_?" I shouted.  
"Don't speak to Esme like that," Rosalie said.  
"Don't tell me what to do, Rosalie," I spat back.  
Her face was inches from mine in a second. Whoa, she could move really fast.  
"I'd watch yourself if I were you," she warned.  
"Girls, please do not fight," Esme said, starting to get up from where she was sitting.  
I looked Rosalie right in the eyes. "Bitch," I muttered.  
An angry flame grew in her eyes, and she slapped me with enough force to knock me to the floor.  
"Rosalie!" Carlisle shouted.  
She opened the back door and was gone in a flash.  
"Rose!" Emmett called out, and ran out the door after her.  
I got up off of the floor and ran up into my room, slamming the door with as much force as I could muster. I flopped on my bed and began to cry.  
Why did I talk to Rosalie like that? I shouldn't have, but she shouldn't have bossed me around, either.  
Why did everyone keep the secret of my past from me? I had a right to know! I have this whole other life, and an adopted family, that they didn't tell me about.  
I just laid on my bed for a while, but then I got up and put on a robe and slippers. I had been in my room for almost a half an hour, so I decided to head downstairs. The only one there was Emmett.  
"Oh, Emmett!" I wailed, running over to him. "I feel terrible! I shouldn't have talked to Rosalie like that..."  
"I believe you, kiddo," he said, then sighed. "I just don't think I'm the person you should be telling it to."  
I nodded. "Is Rosalie... still gone?" I asked.  
"Yeah... I don't know when she'll be back..." he murmured.  
"This is all my fault!" I said. "I... I guess I'll wait for her."  
"Okay, but don't stay up too late... Well, hell, it's two in the morning..." he said, then walked upstairs.  
I walked to the glass door and stood there, waiting for Rosalie. I waited.  
And waited.  
And waited.  
I don't know how long I had been standing there, but it felt like an eternity. Looking around, everyone was upstairs. I made a split decision: I wouldn't wait for Rosalie to come to me, I'd go to her.  
I slid the back door open as quick as I could and dashed out onto the deck. My slipper-protected feet slapped the wood as I ran down the stairs. I dashed off into the forest.  
"Rosalie!" I called out. "Rosalie, I'm sorry! Where are you? Rosalie!"  
I kept running, but I didn't think this plan through. After all that I learned tonight, it made me forget that someone, a vampire someone, snuck into the house and wrote on my mirror. He could have been anywhere.  
Even right near me.  
Something whooshed by beside me, but it was fast. I spun around and saw nothing. My heart rate spiked, and I swallowed the growing lump in my throat.  
Something grabbed me from behind. I closed my eyes and screamed, but when I opened my eyes...  
I was back in the house.  
"Are you crazy?" Rosalie shouted. I turned around and she was standing behind me. Everyone was downstairs.  
I bit my lip. "Rosalie... I'm really sorry! Truly, sincerely sorry! I shouldn't have spoken to you like that! I was the bitch-"  
"Stop," she said, interrupting me. "It's okay, I forgive you. I'm just more relieved that you're safe, and please don't do something stupid like that again."  
"Okay, I promise," I said.  
"Something is out there. It... smells like him," Rosalie said to Carlisle and Esme.  
A crash came from upstairs. Everyone ran upstairs faster than the speed of light. This would take some getting used to... It dawned on me that I probably shouldn't be downstairs alone.  
There was a crash right near me, causing me to jump. It sounded like it came from the back door. I looked behind and there was a hole in the glass and a rock on the floor with a note.  
I backed away. Someone- or something- was out there.  
"Are you okay?" Parker asked from right behind me, causing me to jump again.  
I walked over to pick up the rock, Parker close behind me. The note was tied to the rock. I turned around and everyone was downstairs, staring at me. I untied the string, removed the note, and read it. Now I was truly scared, and I started to shake. 

_**Dearest Alex-  
Yes, I addressed this little letter to you because I knew you would be the one to read it. You can't escape the past, my dear. I'm still here... and it is a shame that you can't remember our time together.  
I won't be back tomorrow. I won't be back the next day.  
But I will be back.  
You can't hide from me any longer. I am invisible to visions, and that gives me the element of surprise.  
Good luck trying to get me.  
Goodbye for now, darling.  
-J  
**_

I threw the letter on the floor like it was toxic. Parker picked it up and read it. After a few seconds, he growled. It was a menacing sound, and it scared me, causing me to back away from him. He looked upset.  
"I'm sorry, angel," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."  
Esme and Carlisle were at my side. Parker handed Carlisle the letter and he read it.  
He handed Esme the letter as he spoke to me. "Alex, I am sorry to say this, but I think you need to stay in my study for the time being. There are no windows in there, and we will all take turns watching you."  
I was tempted to say that I wasn't a baby and didn't need to be watched, but then I realized I couldn't protect myself from... that vampire. This was a force bigger than me.  
"But Carlisle, it's your study. I don't want to be a bother..." I said.  
"Nonsense! I would rather have you safe then my own space," Carlisle told me.  
"We will move you bed in there, okay?" Esme said. "To make you more comfortable."  
"Please don't," I pleaded. "I really don't want you to have to go through all that trouble."  
"But really, it is no-"  
"Esme," Carlisle interrupted. "How about we do not move the bed?"  
She sighed and gave me a small smile. "Whatever makes you comfortable, Alex." 

**-oOo-**

**Now Alex knows about everything... Will Jonathan keep torturing the Cullens? Will Alex get her memory back?  
You'll have to wait and see...  
PLEASE REVIEW! Two more reviews and there will be 100!  
**


	16. Thoughts and Feelings

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I forgot to apologize, along with the last chapter, for the delay in updating. There was some issue with computer and it wouldn't let me update the story. I got it fixed, though, and then came the last update!  
Also, WOOHOO! This story passed 100 reviews! Thank you to everybody that has reviewed this story! I love you guys like Gertrude McFuzz loves Horton in Seussical!  
There's some good stuff in this chapter for all you Parlex fans! (does that name combo sound good?)**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 16  
-oOo-  
**

****

August 13th, 2011 

I opened my eyes and I was praying that I was going to wake up in my bed. When I looked around, however, I was still in the leather recliner seated in Carlisle's study. I shuffled around and pulled my arms out from under the blanket someone placed on me.  
Carlisle had an old grandfather clock in the corner of the room, and I saw that it was ten-fifty. After last night, or technically early this morning, I did not get into the study until almost three, but it took much longer for me to fall asleep. I was constantly tossing and turning, all the events of earlier replaying themselves in my head. The secrets, the truth, the proof...  
I never would have thought that vampires existed, let alone that I had been adopted by some. The vampires I read of in books were nothing like Carlisle, Esme, and everyone else. First of all, they do not drink human blood, which is a plus considering that I live with them. They also do not sleep, do not cry, do not age... Imagine me growing older while they are frozen in time...  
That brought up another thought: it turns out I will not age past eighteen, and I honestly do not know what to think about that. I guess it would not be too bad. It would be every woman's dream to stay young forever, right? If I did turn, I would not be able to have children because my body could not change to accompany... the little one. Was I upset about that? Maybe a little.  
I heard something going around that Bella almost died giving birth to Renesmee because Nessie was so strong and Bella was just a human. Now, I know I am not nearly as strong as Bella was, nor will I ever be. Honestly, I am not built like that.  
Everyone seems like the family type here. Would they want me to find some way to have a child? Well, if I am going to have a child, it is not going to be with anyone but Parker. I know I just found out that we had been in a relationship, but I still felt strongly for him. He would be the only father of my children.  
Why am I even thinking about this?  
I wondered if anyone would come into Carlisle's study, seeing as I am not allowed to leave. Sure enough, Alice walked through the door moments later carrying a plate with two English muffins that had grape jelly. Her eyes were a bright gold color.  
"I know I'm not nearly as good of a cook as Esme, but I know you like these," she said with a smile.  
"Did you have a _vision_ that I was awake?" I asked quietly as she sat the muffins down next to me.  
"Please don't tell me you're going to be acting like this," Alice said.  
I sighed. "Sorry, Alice. God, I'm being nasty to everyone, aren't I? First Esme, then Rosalie, and now you..."  
"It's okay, Alex," she said, patting my hand. "This is probably a lot to take in."  
"Being trapped in Carlisle's study isn't helping my mental state, either," I told her.  
"I know," she said with a sigh. "But we are keeping you in here to protect you. It will be harder for... him... to get to you in here."  
"What does this J guy want from me anyway?" I asked. "In the message he wrote on the mirror, he said that he had abducted me once already."  
"Esme and Carlisle never did finish the story, did they?" Alice muttered. "Well, it was the day after we got back from Italy, after speaking with the Volturi. You and Esme were on a walk when J came running at you at full speed. He swooped you into his arms and ran with you."  
"But... Wouldn't you have seen him coming? In a vision?" I questioned.  
"Usually, yes," Alice said with a sigh. "I couldn't, though... You know how he wrote in that letter 'I am invisible to visions, and that gives me the element of surprise', right?"  
I nodded in reply.  
"Well, that makes me think he has a special ability that blocks him out so I can't see him. Well, in visions, of course. When he took you away, that meant we couldn't see you either."  
"Why?" I asked simply.  
"If I had to guess, he was always around you and never left you for a second. But there was that one time..."  
Her voice trailed off.  
"What one time?" I inquired.  
"I... I thought I had a vision of you, running. As quick as the vision came up, though, it disappeared. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me..." she murmured.  
"I wish I could remember something... Then I could give you an answer as to if I was alone or not," I said.  
"Speaking of remembering things," Alice said, looking me in the eyes. "Are you sure you don't remember anything about... your scar?"  
"No!" I said quickly. "You still haven't told anybody about that, have you?"  
"No, no, no... Well, at least not intentionally..." she said.  
"What do you mean by intentionally?" I questioned.  
"Edward could have read my thoughts... If I was thinking about it, that is..." she muttered.  
I was silent for a moment. "He won't tell anyone, will he?" I asked quietly.  
"He knows you don't want him to, so he won't," Alice told me. "He really cares about you, Alex."  
I frowned. "I feel terrible for being so rude to him..."  
"He's not holding a grudge," Alice said. "Besides, if anyone was going to understand how _truly_ overwhelmed you were, it's going to be him."  
I nodded.  
"Speaking of people that care about you..." she murmured. "My shift is over."  
"What are you talking-" I began, but before I could finish my sentence, Parker walked into the room.  
"Can I speak to you?" Parker asked me.  
I nodded quickly, then Alice left the room. He came over to the recliner, then knelt on the floor. This was awkward for me, so I climbed out of the chair and sat next to him.  
"I hope you're not mad at me," he said.  
"I'm not mad," I told him. "Just... can I ask you a couple of, um, questions?"  
He nodded. "Go right ahead."  
I took a deep breath. "First of all... Okay, this is going to sound like a very minor detail compared to everything that has happened, but... last night, did you call me... angel?"  
"Did I upset you?" he asked.  
"No, no, stop worrying about whether you've hurt me somehow!" I muttered. "I was just wondering... why? Why _did_ you call me angel?"  
"It was what I called you... before you had your memory erased," he said quietly, hanging his head down. "I guess it just... slipped out."  
I looked at Parker, and it was like I was seeing him in a completely different way. He seemed so sad, so alone. Daringly, I lifted up his chin so I could look into his eyes. There was so much hurt in those golden orbs, it made me want to cry at the sight. What had Parker been through? Did I really have that much of an impact on him when I was... abducted?  
"I never said I didn't like it," I whispered.  
He smiled: a true, genuine smile. I watched his hand move towards my face and brush a lock of my hair behind my ear. He placed his hand on my cheek and stroked it with his thumb.  
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked me.  
I blushed. "You... You think I'm beautiful?"  
"The most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he murmured, stroking my cheek.  
"But... Rosalie, Alice, Bella, Esme... they're all prettier than me," I mumbled.  
He gave me a smile. "Not in my eyes."  
His face slowly started to move towards mine. Oh my god, he was going to kiss me!  
When his lips touched mine, it was pure bliss. They were cold, like his skin. Just their touch sent a shiver through me, whether out of chill or pleasure I do not know.  
He broke away and I took a breath, then he suddenly deepened the kiss. I tried to put all the passion I felt, which was _a lot_, into the kiss. Far too quickly, though, he broke away. Did I do something... wrong?  
"What is the matter?" he asked, looking me in the eyes.  
When he glanced at me, it was as if he could sense how I was feeling.  
"Oh, Alex, it's not you..." he murmured. "I broke the kiss because... I needed to make sure I could control myself... And not hurt you."  
I nodded quickly and he kissed me on the cheek.  
"Parker... I have another question," I said, rubbing my thumb on his hand.  
"Anything, my angel," he murmured.  
"Can you tell me about how we first met?" I asked.  
He smiled. "Of course. Well, we met in an... unusual way, I guess. You had been abducted by some of Nathaniel's followers, Adrienne and Christopher. They took you to a small runway in South America, where I was at the time. They were going to take you to Australia in a private that they owned, and I was the pilot."  
"You can fly planes?" I asked.  
"Yes, and pretty well, if I do say so myself," he chuckled. "Ah, Alex, I knew you were beautiful from the moment I first laid eyes on you. What we were doing was wrong, and I felt terrible for it, but alas, I had to do it. Nathaniel would probably kill me if I didn't."  
"Were there other people on the plane with you... er, us?" I inquired.  
"There were two other hybrids, Eliza and Collin, along with Adrienne and Christopher. Eliza and Collin were mates, and they kept you heavily guarded on the plane.  
"We got to Australia, and as you were kept in the cave, all I could do was watch from afar as Nathaniel tortured you, emotionally and physically. I remember, though, the day I was told to guard you. I told you I was a hybrid. We chatted a little, and then I hugged you and kissed you on the cheek."  
I giggled nervously. "We moved pretty quickly, huh?"  
He and I both laughed. With the current situation, laughter felt nice.  
Parker stroked my hair, and I seemed to lay my head on his lap in a daze. It did not seem wrong or awkward, and Parker did not seem to mind one bit.  
"You know, I was distraught after you were taken by J," he said to me after a few minutes of silence.  
"That must have been awful for everybody..." I whispered.  
"It was, but I was more worried about what was happening to _you_, angel," Parker said.  
"I wish I could remember _something_," I sighed.  
"That is our goal," Parker said.  
"What is the goal?" I asked.  
"Everyone's goal is to find a way to get your memory back," he said.  
"Is... Is that possible?" I whispered.  
Parker sighed. "I... I don't know. None of us do. Carlisle especially is trying to find some way to get it back."  
"Carlisle seems extremely intelligent," I said.  
"Oh, he is," Parker murmured. "Especially when it comes to vampire knowledge. This, however, baffles even him. He has never even heard of the power to erase memories, or be invisible to visions. Whoever this J vampire is, he is extremely powerful."  
"I... I'm still having trouble realizing that all of this is really true," I mumbled.  
"Yes, it may be a lot to take in," he said. "You'll get used to it eventually, though."  
"It makes me think... I could be this close,"- I made a small gesture with my fingers- "to remembering everything. I have a feeling that one little thing could trigger the return of... everything."  
"Everyone has been trying to jog your memory," Parker said. "Your bedroom is the same design and same layout. Emmett even tried to get you to remember something by playing 'That's What You Get' on Rockband."  
"How would 'That's What You Get' get me to remember anything?" I asked.  
"When you, Esme, Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper got back from Italy, you and Emmett had made a deal that you would have a Rockband jam session when you got home. With a lot of convincing, we all got you to sing 'That's What You Get' while the boys played the instruments."  
"Really?" I asked. "Because... 'That's What You Get' is my favorite song..."  
There was a knock on the door of the study, and I shot up out of Parker's lap.  
"I think it's my shift now," Esme said with a wink. 

**-oOo-**

**Yay, cute Parker and Alex stuff! Sorry I didn't get this chapter up yesterday. Life is busy, busy, busy!  
**


	17. Occurence

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.  
I apologize... This chapter is a wee bit short...  
**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 17  
-oOo-  
**

**August 16th, 2011  
**

Two day went by surprisingly quickly, seeing as I have been cooped up in Carlisle's study. The only time I have been able to leave was to use the bathroom, and even then I had to use the hall bathroom (no windows) and have someone stand outside the door. It was making me feel like a prisoner, and I was not enjoying it.  
I was feeling gloomy, just sulking in the recliner and do basically nothing. Even Parker could not shake me out of this funk I was in. There were so many emotions flying through my head right now: fear, nervousness, anxiety. I was heavily protected, but that J guy... or should I say vampire, could strike at any minute. I had a feeling that my family could take him, but with Alice not able to see him in visions, they would not be prepared.  
Alice walked in the room with my MacBook underneath her arm, her eyes a brilliant bright gold.  
"Hey, little sis," she said cheerfully. She pulled one of Carlisle's armchairs next to the recliner, extremely easily as if it was a plastic chair, and pulled up a side table.  
"Hey," I replied quietly.  
Alice frowned. "C'mon, Alex! Your mood is really bumming me out!"  
"I'm sorry, Alice," I mumbled. "It's just... I'm scared, that's all."  
"Oh, Alex," Alice murmured, wrapping her arms around me. "I know you're scared, but trust me. You are safe, and we will not let anything else happen to you."  
"Is it true that you are trying to get my memory back?" I asked her.  
She nodded. "That's why when J comes around again, we are going to try and force how to get your memory back out of him, if..."  
She trailed off.  
"If you can get it back," I said.  
Alice sighed. "Yes. Your future is really blurry right now, which makes me think we're not done with J yet, but I still can't see him in my visions. It's difficult for me, because I'm used to always having the upper hand, when it comes to vampires at least."  
"Why does he want me so badly?" I questioned. "Why is he back?"  
"It seems like this is a game to him, Alex. He hid you from us once, but we found you. I think he wants to hide you again."  
"And wipe my memory for a second time?" I asked.  
Alice looked down at her hands, which were folded I her lap. "I don't know, Alex. I... I don't know."  
"What... What did he do to me after he abducted me?" I asked her.  
"That is one of the reasons we want to get your memory back," Alice said. "We could never see your future once you were gone, which made us think that he had been monitoring you constantly. He may have even dumped you off in Maryland, and kept a close enough eye on you that I still wouldn't be able to see you."  
"I wish I had a guess... Well, maybe until sometime in your freshman year," she said.  
"I remember going to high school in Maryland as a freshman," I muttered.  
She looked at me. "When did you enroll?"  
"Sometime in January," I said.  
"So he had you for about two months time," Alice said, beginning to rub her temples. "Ugh, I hate not being able to see anything!"  
I wanted to say something or do something that would distract Alice from this, if only for a moment.  
"Alice, why did you bring my MacBook in here with you?" I asked.  
Her faced brightened. "To do a little shopping, of course!"  
I groaned. "More clothes, Alice? Really?"  
"No, it's not clothes this time," she muttered. "Since you know now that your room is the way it is because we were trying to jog your memory-"  
I looked at her, wondering how she knew that.  
"Parker told me. Anyway, we are going to redesign your room!"  
"Really?" I asked. "Actually, I think I would like that."  
"Yes, that's the spirit!" she cheered, opening the laptop. A website was already on screen, PBteen.  
"This website has the cutest room themes!" she said. "Scroll around the website and tell me if you see anything you like."  
The website was easy to navigate, and almost everything they sold was adorable. One bedroom set, however, popped out at me. It had a duvet with black and lavender flowers with a white background, which was called the Nouveau design. There was also a quilt with a mainly white design and black dots. The sheets were white with a black border. A decorative pillow sat on top of the beautiful bedding and it was white with a ruffled rose design.  
I fell in love with everything else in the picture, too. The bed frame was called the Amelie Bed, and it was black and made of iron. There was a black rug with white script as a border. A lamp sat on a white beside table, and the shade matched the floral duvet while the base was clear.  
"I like this room," I told Alice, pointing to the screen.  
She looked at the picture and smiled. "The colors are the same, but the design is new."  
"It's perfect. Besides, I love the black and lavender together," I said.  
"And I think I know of a cute paint color that will match..." she said.  
Alice tapped her chin, then looked at the doorway.  
"Esme!" she shouted. "Your assistance is needed now!"  
Esme was in the room in a second. "Has she found a design that she likes yet?"  
"You're in on this, too?" I asked jokingly.  
"Esme is the design guru when it comes to architecture and interior design," Alice said.  
"Well, I am flattered," she chuckled.  
"So... You and Alice are going to help redesign my room?" I asked.  
"It gives ALL of us something to do," she said. "And besides, it's fun!"  
"Sounds good to me," I said with a laugh.  
The three of us scrolled through the PBteen website for what seemed like mere minutes, but probably was an hour. We placed all of the items from the room picture in the cart, along with a new white dresser, a full length mirror, and a white armoire.  
"Your room is going to look absolutely amazing!" Alice gushed.  
I smiled. "I certainly hope so."  
"How about I go grab us some snacks?" Esme asked.  
"And by us, do you mean me?" I questioned.  
"Well, yes," she chuckled.  
"Really fast I need to get your iPhone on your nightstand and make sure it got the latest update," Alice said.  
They both bolted out of the room in a second.  
It was the wrong time.  
I heard a crash and what sounded like the sound of shattering glass.  
The door to Carlisle's study burst open, and in came a man who had piercing red eyes. This had to be J. He growled at me, and my eyes widened in fear. Here I was, sitting in an armchair in Carlisle's study. I was trapped in the room. Exiting wasn't an option that would result in me getting out. Alive.  
Suddenly, he was on the move and his hands were wrapped around my ankles. He tugged and I flew out of the chair and onto the ground.  
I vigorously kicked my feet, trying to free myself.  
"Let me go!" I shouted, then I kicked him in the jaw. It was like kicking solid rock and I winced at the pain.  
Esme came running into the room and managed to rip Jonathan off of me. They began to struggle, but Esme was barely hanging on. I had to help! Sitting on the side table was a lamp and a large book. The lamp didn't look too valuable, but I wasn't going to risk it. I grabbed the big book.  
I knew Edward would be near, and getting a message through to him would be crucial.  
Don't let Esme get distracted, I said mentally to Edward.  
When J began to get off of the ground, I jumped and smacked him in the head with the book. He was strong and I knew it wasn't going to harm him, just distract him for a second. As soon as the book came in contact with his head, his arm came back and smacked me across the room. I flew back onto the floor with a loud thud, smacking my head against the wall, but the distraction worked. In the split second, Emmett and Jasper ran into the room and pinned J down to the ground.  
Once J was successfully restrained, Esme came over to me. There were stars in my vision, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.  
"Are you okay?" she asked. "Alex, please stay awake."  
"I'm okay," I said. "Don't worry about me."  
"Your head slammed into the wall," Esme muttered. "I have a reason to be concerned."  
"That was a smart move, Alex," Rosalie said as she came into the room. "It was a small distraction, but it helped."  
J snarled under Emmett and Jasper's grasp. The sound made me shiver.  
Carlisle came in and stood in front of J while Emmett and Jasper pulled him up so he could see Carlisle.  
"Hello," Carlisle said. "I think we need to have a word with you." 

**-oOo-  
**

**  
Duh, duh, DUH! J has been captured. What will happen next?  
Please, please, PLEASE review! I got little reviews for the last chapter... and it made me sad.  
**


	18. Rush

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Their Girl?  
Chapter 18  
-oOo-  
**

Jasper and Emmett literally dragged J out of the study and quickly brought him outside. I was wondering, why take him outside?  
"Damage control. We would rather Jonathan destroy a tree then a piece of furniture," Edward said, answering my thoughts. I did not know he was upstairs, but he probably ran up here in all the commotion.  
He began to walk after everyone else, who were making their way outside to follow the procession.  
"Jonathan?" I asked, as I ran down the stairs after Edward. "Is that... J's name?"  
"Yes... I saw it in his thoughts," Edward told me. "He was thinking about the moment he captured you, when he told you his name."  
"Oh," I said flatly, flowing Edward out the back door.  
Everyone was gone when we got outside, making me think that they all ran to a certain location. Edward pulled me up onto his back.  
"Hold on tight," he said. I hooked my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, then we were off.  
I closed my eyes and it seemed like in seconds that we were in a clearing with everyone else. Emmett and Jasper were still holding Jonathan, Carlisle and Parker in front of him. Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were standing to the right of where Edward and I were now. Bella, Nessie, and a giant wolf were to our left. Was that wolf... Jake? When had he gotten here?  
I unhooked my arms and climbed off of Edward's back. When Esme saw me, she ran over to me in the speed of light and wrapped her arms around me. Rosalie and Alice were beside me. Edward walked over to stand with Bella and Nessie.  
"Everything is going to be alright," Esme whispered in my ear.  
I glanced over at Jonathan, who seemed to be trying to look at me, but Carlisle and Parker were blocking his view.  
Carlisle looked over at me. "Well, now everyone is here..."  
He stepped aside and I got a good look at Jonathan. He had sandy-blond hair that was slightly shaggy. Of course, his eyes were a piercing red. He was shorter then Jasper and Emmett, with an oval face and a cleft chin. A slight beard grew on his face.  
"Hello Alex. We meet again," he said, giving me a sickly-sweet smile.  
"I don't remember or know you," I said simply.  
"Ah, but that's where you are wrong," he murmured. "It's a shame. You should remember me."  
"Maybe I would... If you hadn't have erased my memory," I spat.  
He chuckled. "Well, maybe this will jog your memory a little."  
He began to reach into his pocket when Emmett tightened his grip on his arm.  
"I'm just grabbing a harmless object," Jonathan said to Emmett. Then, he pulled a black object out of his pocket.  
Sunglasses.  
He put them on his face and I gasped.  
I was looking at my social worker, Mr. Johnson.  
"But... But... You were my social worker!" I shouted.  
"Surprise!" he said with fake excitement. "I lied."  
"You tricked her into thinking you were her _social worker_?" Parker asked, sounding enraged.  
"I wouldn't use the word tricked. More like, altered her memory," Jonathan sneered.  
"So, you erase memories and tamper with them, too?" I questioned.  
"That's not all I can do," he said with an evil smile.  
"Hide yourself from visions?" Alice asked, stepping slightly in front of Rosalie, Esme, and I.  
"That too," he said. "But... there is one more thing..."  
"What else can you possibly do?" I asked.  
He looked right at me. "Have you enjoyed your dreams, Alex?"  
My eyes widened as realization washed over me.  
"That's right, Alex," he taunted. "Those dreams you had, there weren't fictional... They were real! It was always fun thinking of what to make you dream up next. Those dreams you always had of Esme... Nice, right? Oh, and the trees falling, the far off voices calling your name, do you remember that? It was when I captured you. It was when your family tried, but failed, to rescue you. Then I just took you farther and farther away-"  
"_STOP_!" I screamed. I could not take the onslaught of my nightmares, relived by his voice. The same voice I had heard so many times inside of those very dreams.  
"So, those dreams she had weren't actually dreams, but... memories?" Edward questioned. I figured he'd be the one to ask that, since he is the only one who actually saw my nightmares.  
"Yeah, I think I made that point already," Jonathan said. Bella growled at him.  
"Now, what we are all here for," Carlisle said. He looked right at Jonathan. "How do we get her memory back?"  
"Silly man, only I can do that," Jonathan sneered.  
"Then do it!" Parker snarled.  
"Don't be feisty," Jonathan warned. "If you upset me, then she won't get her memory back."  
"And if you don't give her memory back to her, you won't live," Emmett said, gripping Jonathan's arm tighter.  
Jonathan tried to not look scared, but I had a feeling he was.  
"If you want to live, give her memory to her. Now," Esme said menacingly. It was so unlike her, which is what scared me.  
Jonathan looked at me. "Are you _sure_ you want your memory back? Your family, they aren't as innocent as them seem. They've done bad things to you, too."  
"Alex, he is lying," Esme said to me. "We have only loved you and protected you. Please believe that."  
I looked into her eyes, and I saw love. Compassion. I looked at Rosalie and Alice, and I saw the same.  
That was the determining factor.  
"Give me my memory back, Jonathan," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I wanted my memory back more than anything, but what if he was... bluffing? Could he really give me back my memory, or was this permanent? It seemed like getting my memory back would not be as easy.  
Jonathan laughed. "Let me just say, this is going to be a little bit of a head rush. Will your itty bitty little frame be able to take it?" he asked tauntingly.  
"It will be worth it," I said, not so sure that I meant it.  
"Fine, fine, have it your way," he said.  
I watched as he lifted his hand slowly up into the air and closed his eyes.  
I saw a bright flash of light.  
Then all I saw was nothing.  
The "nothing", though, only seemed to last seconds, even if that. I could have been out longer then seconds, but I would not know that.  
The first thing I felt was a dull throbbing in my head. I wanted to close my eyes and just rest to get rid of the pain, but shutting my eyes made my head throb more and brought the "nothing" back. I felt extremely tired and groggy. Had I fallen asleep somehow? I remembered Esme and I were on a walk, but...  
I remembered.  
I remembered!  
I remembered everything that has happened. The cave, Nathaniel, my birthday, the car accident, the Volturi, the abduction, Jonathan...  
All the stories I was told, they were all true! It was like I had woken up from a deep sleep. How could I have forgotten _everything_ in my past? I did not think it would be possible... But, where was Esme? I had to tell her that my memory was back!  
I remembered that she was right next to me.  
I looked up and there she was, concern etched all over her perfect face. She did not look any different, which I knew was obvious.  
"Esme!" I shouted happily, wrapping my arms around her. "I remember! I remember!"  
"Oh, Alex... We missed you! The real you!" she whispered, burying her face in my hair.  
"I was hoping you would say that," I said, laughing.  
I looked to my left and Rosalie and Alice were sitting there.  
"Rose! Alice!" I shouted, wrapping my arms around the both of them.  
"Oh, Alex," Rosalie murmured, stroking my hair.  
"Thank goodness," Alice added.  
I looked around at everyone and they were all smiling at me. I saw Carlisle, and I wanted to hug him, but he was next to...  
All the happiness rushed out of me in a second.  
"Get him away from me," I pleaded to Esme. "Get Jonathan away from me, please!"  
"Oh, so _you_ remember my name now?" he asked with an evil grin.  
"Yeah, and I remember everything else you did to me, you hundred year old pedophile!" 

**-oOo-**

**Yikes. Just giving you a heads up now, the next chapter isn't going to be the easiest chapters to read. You can tell by the last line that Jonathan did some... bad things**


	19. Truth

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**When text is italicized, then that means that Alex is having a flashback, but she is still telling her story. You guys are smart, though, so I'm sure you'd figure it out anyway. Also, sorry about the bolding problem with the text last chapter. I don't know WHY it did that...**

**Their Girl?**

**Chapter 19**

**-oOo-**

Words could not describe what Jonathan did to me. My opinion of him worsened when he smiled in response to me calling him a pedophile, which he was.

"Oh, don't pretend like you didn't like it," he sneered.

"Shut up! Don't tell me how I'm feeling!" I screamed. "And you know for a fact that I did NOT like it."

"What are you talking about?" Esme asked, looking at me.

"I... Don't want to say," I whispered to her.

"Well, Alex, are you sure that you have ALL of your memory back?" Jonathan asked tauntingly. "Maybe I didn't give it all back to you..."

"He's lying," Edward muttered. "He gave Alex all of her memory back because he's scared of us."

"I do believe that you are the one lying," Jonathan said with an evil smile.

"I can read your mind," Edward said flatly. The grin on Jonathan's face was gone in a flash.

"All of her memory is back," Edward said.

"Well, Alex, may I ask you one question?" Jonathan asked. "Do you still love me?"

No, no, no! Why must he bring everything back against me? I hid my face in Esme's shoulder and tried not to cry.

"What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?" Parker shouted.

"Oh, I didn't do anything," Jonathan said, try to sound innocent.

"Liar!" I screamed, the tears starting to fall.

"Alex, Alex," Rosalie said, putting her hands on my shoulders. "What... What did he do?"

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my chest. My knees were shaking, and it was getting harder to stand, which made me lean into Esme even more.

"Alex?" Rosalie asked quietly.

"I-I- I can't say," I whispered. "At least not while... he's here."

"What did you do her that she will not speak about it?" Carlisle demanded.

"Well, I don't think that is my story to tell," Jonathan sneered.

"Why you little di-" Emmett began.

"I think it is time to dispose of him," Jasper said. "He is of no further need. Alex has her memory back."

"No, no! That's not necessary!" Jonathan shouted.

Carlisle started a fire. I knew he hated Jonathan, but I'm sure killing... well, anything, was difficult for him.

Jonathan looked at me. "Well, I hope you're happy, you little bitch-"

Esme growled furiously and Alice was in his face in a second.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that, scum!" she shouted.

"The fire is... ready," Carlisle said quietly.

"Look away," Esme whispered in my ear. I buried my face in her shoulder.

Jonathan screamed. There was a crack.

Then silence.

I look up and there was a black shape in the fire.

"Good riddance," I whispered as the smoke billowed into the sky.

Minutes passed, and everyone spoke to each other, leaving me sitting on the ground. I knew they were going to make me tell them what happened. Would I have to? I guess getting it off my chest would help me... recover. Could I relive all of this, though?

They all turned around and looked at me. I couldn't meet their gazes.

Esme sat down to my right and wrapped her arms around me. Rosalie and Alice sat to my left.

"Alex... Are you okay?" Esme asked quietly.

I shook my head. "N-no."

"Can you tell us what happened? Every detail?" Rosalie asked.

I sighed. "We'll be here for a while if I do."

"Just... start from the beginning," Alice said.

I took a deep breath.

"When Esme and I were walking, Jonathan grabbed me. You all remember. I tried to get free, but he was so strong... I heard Esme, Carlisle, and Emmett calling... I screamed, too. I was pounding on his arms as a desperate attempt to free myself, but nothing worked. Then... he said 'Oh, you are ever so annoying! Well, I can shut you up for a while. Besides, you won't remember them for long. Cherish their voices, because this will be the last time you hear them!'"

"He said that?" Alice asked quietly. I looked up into her sad golden eyes and nodded.

"Let her finish," Jasper said kindly.

I took another deep breath and continued.

"He struck me in the side of the head, knocking me unconscious. When I woke up, I was in a cave. Where the cave was I did not know. All I knew was that it was cold and my coat was gone..."

_Jonathan sauntered into the cave, followed by four vampires, two males and two females. One of the females was short with a pixie cut hairstyle like Alice's, but it was the color of Rosalie's hair... My chest hurt just thinking about everyone. Alice and Rosalie's smiling faces..._

_A male had his arm wrapped around her waist, and his hair was short and jet black. He had muscles that were nowhere near as large as... Emmett's but still pretty big. I figured they were mates._

_If Emmett were here, he would use those muscles of his and kick their butts._

_The other female had long, straight brown hair that reached her lower back. The other male walked in with his arm around her waist, and he had short, sandy-blonde hair. They probably were mates, too._

_Of course, all of their eyes were red. That scared me to death._

_"She smells mouthwatering," the man with the short black hair said._

_"Yeah, who gets her?" his mate asked._

_"Have patience Victor, Jennifer," Jonathan murmured. "I have not decided yet."_

_"Yes master," the two replied._

_It made me sick to hear them call him master. Who would want to worship a monster like him?_

_He looked over at me and flashed a smile that made me nauseous._

_"Hello Sleeping Beauty," he cooed. "Have a nice nap?"_

_"What's it to you?" I spat._

_His face was inches from mine in a split second, his large hand gripping my face._

_"I wouldn't test me if I were you, my dear. I could kill you in an instant. You're like a toothpick: fragile and easy to break," he whispered. He let go of me, but then brought down his hand and slapped me across the face. I bit my tongue to hold back a cry of pain._

_Jonathan turned back to the four vampires. "You have done well, all of you. Now, you may hunt... Except Nicholas... I need you for a moment..."_

"Nicholas... had a gift. Compulsion," I muttered. "He could manipulate anyone and make them do whatever he wanted... or anything he was forced to make them do..."

"Unbelievable," Edward snarled through clenched teeth. He obviously read in my mind what was coming next.

"H-he told Nicholas to stay behind because he needed him to do something..."

_"What can I do for you, master?" Nicholas asked Jonathan._

_"I need you to use your ability," Jonathan told him._

_Nicholas nodded. "What would you like me to do?"_

_Jonathan looked over at me. In a split second, I was being held next to him in the middle of the cave with Nicholas._

_"Before I tell you, Nicholas," he said. "Let me tell Alex what your power is."_

_I was scared. The way he kept talking about Nicholas's ability, the more it led me to believe it was powerful._

_"Nicholas has the power of compulsion," Jonathan said. I knew he was speaking to me, but he did not look at me. "He can make you do anything he wants... Or what I tell him to do."_

_Jonathan looked over at me and smiled. He was going to do something to me, it was obvious._

_"Nicholas... Make Alex fall in love with me," he said._

_I gasped in sheer horror. Was he kidding? I tried to run away from him, but he was too fast and caught my arm in his grasp._

_"Let me go!" I screamed._

_"Not going to happen," Jonathan said simply._

_Suddenly, it felt like a wave of emotion was washing over me. I looked at Jonathan, and I did not feel hate or disgust... I felt love._

_"Do you love me, Alex?" he asked seductively._

_"Yes," I replied quietly, my knees feeling weak._

_Then... I kissed him. _

Tears began running down my cheeks again.

"I regretted it!" I shouted. "I hated it, I hated it, I hated it! With a snap of Jonathan's fingers, Nicholas must have stopped, and I was back to normal. I was scared, really scared, so I ran to the other side of the cave and franticly tried to wipe off my mouth on my sleeve. It was stupid, but what else could I do? I regretted ever kissing him, but I kept telling myself that it was not my fault. I knew that, but he would never let it go..."

Esme wiped the tears off my face.

"You-You'll be doing a lot m-more of that," I whispered.

"You poor thing," she murmured, kissing my cheek.

_Jonathan had a smug look on his face as he walked over to Nicholas and shook his hand. He was probably congratulating him on a job well done._

_Way to go, Nicholas. Thanks for helping me be a pervert and kiss a teen, seeing as I am god only knows how old._

_"Now, Nicholas, it really saddens me to do this," Jonathan said._

_"What do you mean, master?" Nicholas asked, confused._

_I was confused, too. But not for long because... Jonathan killed Nicholas._

_Right in front of me._

_Gruesome. That was the only word to describe it. Nicholas did not even have time to scream... There was just a crack, then his head was next to his body on the ground._

_Jonathan pulled a lighter out of his pocket and set fire to the body. I hated Nicholas for supporting Jonathan, but I hated death..._

_Nicholas's body was ash long before the other three vampires got back. Jonathan swept it away in time, then put his lighter back in his pocket. It made me wonder whether he was going to kill the others... Or me._

_The female with the straight brown hair came back alone, probably wondering what was taking her lover so long. Jonathan ambushed her the second she stepped foot in the cave. Her ashes were quickly swept away, and her existence soon a distant memory._

_Victor and Jennifer came back last, and I thought they would put up more of a battle, seeing as it was two against one. Alas, when Victor was dead and gone, Jennifer had lost the will to fight. All they had in this world was each other, it seemed. Once one was gone, the other could not go on._

_That made me think, if Parker was lost, could I keep on living? Would I kill myself to be with him? My answer is no. Even though I love him with all of my heart, I could not leave behind Esme, Carlisle, and the rest of the family mourning two losses. It would not be right. Besides, Parker loves me and I love him. He would understand._

_When Jonathan's deed was done, he turned to me and smiled._

_"Now it's just the two of us, huh?" he asked._

_I just glared at him, and did not respond verbally._

_"Aww, you'll come around eventually," he said._

_Then, he knocked me out again. I woke up in a different cave, but he was not there._

_I did not know what else to do, so I ran. I did not know where I was or what direction I was going. I just ran..._

"Wait!" Alice cried. "It-it wasn't my imagination... I did see you in a vision."

"What?" I asked. "You... saw me?"

"Usually I couldn't see you, because of Jonathan's ability to block himself from my visions, and he was always near you. He must have been hunting when you ran! For a few precious seconds, I could see you running. Your coat was gone, but you were wearing the same outfit. Then, seconds later..." Alice trailed off.

"I was gone, wasn't I?" I asked. "Well, Jonathan _had_ been hunting, and it didn't take long for him to catch up with me..."

_All I could hear was the beating of my heart in my ears and the pounding of my feet on the forest ground. Running from the cave probably was not the smartest option, but I panicked._

_Suddenly, a strong force knocked me to the ground and held me there._

_"Bad choice, Alex," Jonathan said. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."_

_He abruptly picked me up and ran back to the cave. When we got inside, he threw me onto the ground, really hard... I could barely pick myself up off of the ground, it hurt so much._

_"You thought you could run away, did you?" Jonathan screamed. "Well, that was a bad move on your part."_

_Then he pulled something out of one of his pockets. I could not see what it was at first, but the. He opened his hand and put it into full view._

_A pocket knife._

"Oh my god," Esme whispered.

I slid down the right sleeve of my shirt, exposing the large scar that ran along my right shoulder. Rosalie and Esme gasped.

"I knew it," Alice sighed, putting her face in her hands.

"You knew about this... this scar?" Esme asked, staring straight at Alice.

"Yes," Alice whispered simply.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rosalie questioned.

"Because I told her not to," I said.

Esme and Rosalie looked at me, but I looked right at Alice. She lifted her head out of her hands.

"I told you, before I got my memory back, that when I tried to think about the scar, I could remember nothing about it. Now that my memory is back, I know better," I said. "He cut me. It's as simple as that."

_Jonathan pinned me against the wall. I tried to break free but, as usual, he was too strong. I had no choice but to watch helplessly as the blade moved closer and closer towards me. Then, Jonathan shoved me forward and I landed on my stomach with an audible thud. The blade cut into my skin, and I screamed at the shearing pain. His foot was on top of my back, holding me down, while one of his hands covered my mouth to muffle my cries. His other hand held the knife and continued its course down my shoulder._

_Then, extremely quickly, Jonathan grabbed a roll of gauze and safety pins out of his pocket, threw them on the ground, and ran out. I knew he had just gone hunting, but he probably left to control himself, which surprised me. Why would he even do this if he was just going to run out?_

_I grabbed the gauze, wrapped up the cut, and fastened it with safety pins. It was an awkward wrap, but it was better than letting myself bleed. There was gauze left over, and I figured I would rewrap the cut if Jonathan was ever out again._

_It felt like hours seemed to pass, but it was probably only minutes. I heard my stomach growl, and I realized that I had not eaten in days, or however much time has passed. The growling became louder and my stomach ached, so I curled in my legs to try and lessen the pain. It did not work._

_Finally, Jonathan walked back in through the entrance of the cave. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses and in his arms he had three bags of chips and five bottles of water. My stomach growled again just at the sight of food. He tossed the items in front of my feet._

_"Don't use those up too quickly," he warned. "You'll only get more in three days."_

_I nodded, then quickly went through a bag of chips. I was tempted to open another bag, but I knew better. One of the water bottles was then emptied in a flash, followed by a half of another._

_Jonathan kept his word and fed me only every three days. When he came back with my food, his eyes were always a brighter shade of red. He hunted and got me my food, killing two birds with one stone, in a way._

_I noticed that thirty days had passed in this cave, seeing as I had been fed ten times know. My weight had probably dropped drastically, and I was already skinny to begin with. If thirty days had gone by, then that meant it was late December, which also meant I was missing Christmas with my family. I have never spent Christmas with them, and who knows if I ever will?_

_Jonathan had a covering of snow on his clothes as he came into the cave with my usual chips and water._

_"It's a white Christmas, Alex. Isn't that exciting?" Jonathan sneered._

_I looked away from him. _Merry Christmas, everyone_, I thought. _I miss you.

_"Don't be sad," Jonathan spat. "You got a gift from me. Food!"_

"Christmas wasn't really joyous that year," Alice said.

"We did exchange presents, though," Nessie said quietly. "I still made you a gift, Alex, in case you, well... came back."

I smiled sadly at her. "Thank you, Nessie. I appreciate the thought."

"I'm going to save it for this Christmas!" she said excitedly.

"I can't wait," I murmured.

_It was late in the evening, and Jonathan made a fire by the mouth of the cave. That was the only light._

_"You were probably wondering why I killed Victor, Jennifer, Margret, and Nicholas," he said, out of the blue._

_"Y-yes," I stammered, saying no more. I had been curious of Jonathan's motives on killing the four vampires._

_He smiled, still looking into the flames. "They were pawns in my master plan. My plan to get you."_

_He paused, then continued._

_"They helped me kidnap you," Jonathan said. "They were the cause of the tumbling trees, which blocked the path of your precious little family. When I knocked you out, I gave them your coat and they helped me lay a false trail. Nicholas and Margret took you one way, while Victor, Jennifer, and I took your coat. Our plan was for Nicholas and Jennifer to quickly dunk you in water, washing away hints of your scent so you couldn't be found as easily._

_"Victor, Jennifer, and I left you coat in another cave far off from our original location. Then it rained, which was perfect, because it washed away their scent along with mine._

_"I killed the four of them afterwards because when they went off on their own, then they could be seen by the future-seer-"_

_"Alice," I interrupted. He glared at me fiercely, which quieted me down. If looks could kill, I'd be dead._

_"Alice," he mocked, "would be able to see them, and that could potentially lead her to me. So, I killed them. Plain and simple."_

"He tricked us, in a laid-out plan," Alice muttered.

"We found you coat, and we thought we had found you," Carlisle murmured sadly.

"It did not help that the rain washed away all the scents," Esme added.

"That was his plan. To trick you," I muttered.

_"So, your goal was to fool my family and lead them away from me?" I questioned._

_"How dare you keep interrupting me!" he snarled._

_"I'm sorry," I whispered._

_He left me alone after that. The night passed on, and Jonathan was sitting by the exit of the cave when I woke up. He sat there for hours, and it was dark again by the time he moved. He walked towards me, and I moved against the wall._

_"Aw, are you afraid of me?" he asked mockingly. I didn't answer. He grew angry and then slapped me really hard. "You better answer me when I speak! Do you understand?"_

_"Yes," I whispered, gritting my teeth in pain._

_"You're such a pitiful thing, you know that? I'm surprised that vampire coven ever loved you. You seem to be more trouble then you're worth."_

_His comments stung, but I tried not to react or show any expression._

_"The woman... What was her name? Esme?" he asked. I just looked at him, not knowing I needed to answer._

_"I asked you if her name was Esme!" he shouted, squeezing my arm extremely tight._

_"Yes, yes!" I screamed, wanting him to let go of my arm._

_"Good. It's good to get answer out of you. Now, the Esme woman, I don't think she loved you. I don't think the leader of the coven did, either."_

_"You're lying," I said. Esme and Carlisle cared about me, I knew it._

_"Oh, am I?" he sneered. "Did I ever tell you I could read minds?"_

_For a split second, I believed him, but then I said in my head _if you can really read minds, then respond to my question, would you? This is stupid, but what is your middle name?

_"I read their minds. They just pitied you," he said._

_"You didn't answer my question," I said._

_"What quest-" he began, but stopped._

_I smugly said, "You're lying. If you could read minds, you would have answered correctly."_

_Jonathan became infuriated, and threateningly took his pocket knife out. I could not help but widen my eyes in fear. He knew I was scared, and that was his goal._

_"Being a smart ass will get you nowhere," he said, then he knocked me unconscious for a third time..._

Carlisle came over and put his hands on my head.

"She does not have any head injuries, Carlisle," Esme said with a small smile, placing her hand on his arm.

"I just had to check," he muttered. When he moved his hands off my head and started to move away, I grabbed his wrist.

"Don't walk away," I whispered.

He knelt down in front of me and kissed me on the forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

_When I came around, I was, yet again, in another cave. Jonathan was wearing a different pair of sunglasses and signing papers on a boulder at the edge of the cave. It seemed to be in the evening, which means I had been out for a really long time._

_I was wondering what papers Jonathan was signing, but I didn't dare ask._

_"You were unconscious for a while," he said, confirming my thoughts. He did not look up from the papers. "I got to hunt again. Lucky me."_

_He placed his sunglasses down on the boulder and walked over to me._

_"I'm feeling more controlled now," he whispered when he was close to me. "Well, I have some more questions for you. First one: Do you still love me?"_

_"No," I spat. "I don't love you. Never have, never will."_

_"Oh, really?" he asked. "I don't think that's true."_

_He pinned me to the wall so I could not get away._

_"Admit it. I excite you," he snarled._

_I was scared now. "You don't excite me. You _disgust_ me."_

_"See, here's the thing. I don't believe you."_

"I t-told him I w-wasn't lying. He still didn't believe me..."

I started to shake. "T-then h-he... He... He..."

I burst out into sobs. I couldn't say it. I couldn't say it.

"He... raped her," Edward growled.

My sobs were louder. Hearing the word...

"No, no, no..." Esme whispered.

I was hyperventilating, but I just couldn't help it.

"Alex..." Carlisle said, reaching his hand out towards me. I flinched away, but I don't know why.

"I-I tried to g-get away, but he w-was too strong," I sobbed. "H-he covered my mouth s-so no one w-would hear me scream."

"Alex, Alex, look at me!" Rosalie said, turning me in Esme's arms so I would look at her. "It's not your fault! Do you understand me? It's not your fault!"

I nodded as my sobs started to calm down.

"Oh, Rosalie!" I said through the tears. "He... He was like Royce, wasn't he?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Yes, he was a lot like Royce... But Jonathan didn't almost kill you. Consider yourself lucky."

I wrapped my arms around her and Esme released me from her grasp. I cried in Rosalie's arms. I cried for myself, for Rosalie, and for everything that's happened. Everyone just left me be in Rosalie's arms. I guess they figured that if anyone could comfort me now it would be Rosalie… or Esme. All three of us had been through similar situations. We all had been beaten.

We all had been raped.

"Thank god nothing happened to you," Edward muttered. "You weren't like Bella... Not strong enough to carry a half-human, half-vampire child."

I shuddered at the thought of that happening to me.

"You've been through a lot," Rosalie said.

"T-that w-wasn't even the end of m-my s-story," I stuttered. "B-but, that was the worst p-part."

"I don't doubt it," she murmured, stroking my hair.

I sat up from her arms and wiped my eyes.

"After that, there is a part of time that is... fuzzy," I said. "The first thing I remember was looking out the window, watching Jonathan drive away."

Then I laughed, realizing something.

"Sorry, I watched my social worker drive away," I spat. "What a joke."

"He is a cruel man," Esme said. "But he is gone now."

"Do you think the time that is unclear is when I had my memory erased?" I asked.

"That would make sense," Carlisle said. He held out his hand for me so I could stand up. As soon as I was on my feet, I engulfed him in a hug.

"I have wanted to hug you for a while," he said, kissing my forehead. "How about we head back to the house?"

"I'd like that," I said with a smile.

**-oOo-**

**Jonathan is sick, right? Well, he's dead and gone.**

**You think the story is over? Nope. There's more to be told, but not as... intense.**


	20. Stargazing

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I realized the problem behind the bolding of the entire last two chapters. So, I can no longer type up chapters on my iPod and copy & paste them to a Word document. Sigh... So, that means it will probably take me longer to type chapters and update them. So sorry...**

**Anyway, on a happier note, I have a new story called **_**For The First Time**_**. It's a Carlisle and Esme story (my favorite characters in the series)! Please check it out and leave a review... please? Pretty please?**

**Their Girl?**

**Chapter 20**

**-oOo-**

Everyone ran back to the house, and Carlisle lifted me onto his back so I could be with them. When we got back, I politely excused myself from the group.

"I just want to go on the deck for a little bit," I told them. I just needed some time to... think.

A tan bench sat close to the middle of the deck, and I sat on it. When I looked up, I could see all of the stars. The hundreds of trees that filled the vast forest were open in just the right spot that I could view the night sky. There were so many stars, and they were all so bright and beautiful. Then, I saw something amazing.

A shooting star.

I closed my eyes to make a wish. "Please, I wish for nothing else bad to happen to the family. I want everyone to stay safe, happy, and united. Together, they are all strong, but I'm not sure how much heartbreak they can take... or that I can take. That's all I wish for."

"I am sure that wish can come true," someone said from behind me.

I turned around and Esme was standing in the doorway. She walked towards me and gestured to the bench.

"May I sit?" she asked.

"Of course," I said, sliding over to make sure she had room.

Once she was sitting, she wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Sorry for what?" she questioned, looking at me.

"I'm sorry for... well, everything. For a probable year and a half of hell you went through. For constantly putting you, the family, and myself in danger."

"Oh, Alex," she murmured. "You know none of that is your fault."

"In a way, it kinda is," I muttered.

"Alex, Alex, Alex..." Esme said. "From the moment you came into all of our lives, that one summer day over two years ago, you have forever changed us. For the _better_, not for worse. You made us even closer then we already were, which was a lot to begin with. You have made us laugh and brought us happiness. Alice has a new shopping friend. Emmett and Jasper have someone to joke around with. Nessie has a new friend. Carlisle and I have a new daughter. Edward and Bella have a new companion, and you making their daughter happy makes them ecstatic. You brought Parker to us, and he is a great addition to the family, and Rosalie... well, you do not know how much you have changed Rosalie's life."

"Really? I did all that, and changed Rosalie's life?" I asked.

"Yes, you did. Rosalie, she was so excited when Nessie was born," Esme told me. "When you came along, she was positively thrilled and was hooked with you from the start. She loves you more than you can imagine, and with the whole... Jonathan situation, now you can talk to her about it if you are ever feeling troubled. She went through the same thing, before she was turned. You know her story... She just wanted to be happily married and have children..."

"You would have been a very good mother, too," I said.

She smiled sadly, then looked down at her lap.

"W-What's wrong, Esme?" I asked.

"I was a mother... I did have a child," she whispered.

My eyes widened. "What? You did?"

She nodded once.

"Esme... I don't think I've heard the story of your past," I said, putting my hand on her arm. "What happened to you... before you met Carlisle and were turned?"

"Well, I had actually met Carlisle much before the date I was turned," she told me. "The first time I met him was when I was sixteen. He was a doctor, of course, and mended my broken leg. I fell out of a tree when I was trying to climb it. He was just as stunning as ever, and I was infatuated with the beautiful blonde doctor.

"He soon moved away after our encounter, but I never forgot him. As I grew up, I was hoping to move farther west to be a teacher, seeing as I lived outside of Columbus, Ohio at the time. But no, no, no, my parents would _not_ have that. They wanted me to stay in town and marry. So, at the age of twenty-two, I married a man named... Charles Evenson."

Then something clicked. "In New York, one of our butlers at the St. Regis was named Charles, and you tensed at the mention of his name."

She nodded simply. This made me afraid.

"Esme.. What did he do to you?" I questioned, scared to hear the answer.

"He was an abusive man," Esme whispered. "Constantly caused me physical and emotional pain. Despite it all, I tried very hard to be a good wife, and of course my parents told me to keep quiet about the abuse-"

"Your own _parents_ let it go? Just like that?" I asked, bewildered.

"Yes, they did," she said simply, and I didn't press for more details. "Anyway, much to my relief, Charles was drafted during World War I.

"I was in pure bliss the time he was away. I enjoyed my life, and did activities that make me happy. Alas, he returned in 1920 and began his abuse again. I ended up running away from him, only to find out I was pregnant with his child. My son was born in 1921, but died of a lung infection two days later...

"After my baby died, I felt like there was really no other reason for me to keep on living. So, I tried to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. I was presumed dead, and taken to a morgue, but Carlisle knew better. He found me and recognized me right away. He realized that my heart was still faintly beating, so he turned me. We fell in love, got married, and now I have a whole new life and a whole new family."

I was shocked. How could something so tragic happen to someone as sweet as Esme?

"You shouldn't have gone through that," I whispered. "It isn't fair."

"Well, sometimes life is unfair, as sad as it is to say," she replied, whipping a tear off my cheek that I did not know was there. I was not surprised that I had been crying. Esme's story was just so... depressing.

"I remember when Renesmee was born, and I saw her for the first time," Esme said after a moment of silence. "She was a gorgeous baby. I was so excited that I was going to be able to watch her grow, even if it was going to be at an accelerated rate... but she is not my daughter, though. She truly belongs to Edward, Bella, and even Jacob. When you came into my life, Alex... it was, well, joyous. I may have missed your childhood, which I will always regret, but now I can call you my daughter. I can watch you and help you grow, if only for a few more years..."

"Why will you always regret missing my childhood?" I asked.

"I will regret it because there was thirteen years of your life that you did not get to live to the fullest," she told me. "You never had a birthday party to celebrate your growing. You never had a room to call your own, or toys of your own to play with. Most of all, you did not have a family to come home to. To call your own. There was never a father to be protective over you, or a mother to tuck you into bed every night. Alex, you deserved so much more than you had to go through. I wish that I could have found you earlier so that you would have been happy."

"Oh, Esme!" I sobbed. Nobody has cared this much about me. Having heard what she just said made my heart burst with happiness. I realized, at that moment, how truly loved I was.

"I won't let anything else happen to you," she murmured. "I promise."

"And I believe you," I replied.

We sat in silence for a moment, just hugging. Enjoying the peace of mind that we could finally have.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," another visitor said in the doorway that led to the deck. Esme looked up, but I did not.

"No, Parker, it is no problem," Esme said. When she mentioned his name, my head jerked up. Parker. Parker... He was there, and I was truly seeing him _for the first time_ in almost a year and a half.

"Well, I need to go inside to take care of... some things," Esme said, standing up from the bench. "I'll leave you two... alone."

I swore I could see her smiling as walked away. Darn mischievous woman...

"It's beautiful out tonight," Parker said, sitting next to me.

"And let me guess... You were going to say that it isn't as beautiful as I am?" I giggled.

He sighed. "Ah, you know me too well."

"Watch a lot of romantic movies?" I joked.

"Alright, I'll admit, that line wouldn't have been too original," he said.

"_Really_?" I laughed.

He laughed, too, then we both erupted into a fit of giggles. After moments of laughter, Parker took my hand in his.

"I'm so glad you have your memory back," he whispered.

"Me too," I replied. "I just can't believe that I was... gone, for that much time."

"It was a terrible year and a half," Parker said.

"I know. I've been told," I muttered.

"I just can't believe that... _he_ did all those things to you," Parker growled, his angered flaring up quickly. I knew he was referring to Jonathan, but I think he was too disgusted to say his name.

"Shh," I said. "You need to put this behind you. I need to put this behind me, too, if I ever want to _recover_..."

"It doesn't change what he did," Parker spat.

"I know that... But please, just _let it go_," I whispered, placing my hand on his face. "For me. Please?"

He sat his hand on top of mine and looked into my eyes. In a rush, his lips came crushing down on mine. This kiss was full of passion, love... I relished the taste of his lips and the feel of them on mine.

He broke away and took a breath, almost forgetting that I need to breath once in a while. A kiss like that can make you forget things.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that since you have gotten back," he said.

I giggled. "When Esme and Carlisle brought me back, I fell head over heels for you all over again."

He held me in his arms, and I laid my head on his shoulder. I could stay like this forever and be a happy person.

"Unfortunately, they wanted _me_ to break the news to you, because they figured that you wouldn't get _as_ mad at me..." Parker said.

"What?" I asked, sitting up from his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"It depends on how you look at it," he muttered.

"_What_?" I asked again.

"Well... We have to go back to school," Parker said.

"Ugh!" I groaned.

Parker chuckled. "I had a feeling you would react that way."

"I don't want to go back," I mumbled.

"C'mon, you'll enjoy it!" Parker laughed. "You and Alice will be juniors, and Edward, Bella, Jasper, and I will be seniors."

I gasped. "Parker. You- You go to school now!"

"Yes," he said. "Started out in my junior year. Carlisle had to tutor me before I went so I wouldn't be completely clueless, but now I'm in some honors classes. Now school will be even better 'cause you'll be there."

"And since you're there," I said, "School sounds _much_ more appealing."

Parker laughed again. "I was hoping you'd feel that way."

**-oOo-**

**Cute Alex and Parker moment. Now Alex will be going back to school (told you the story wasn't over!), but how will the rest of the students react when they see Alex after her being gone for a year and a half? **


	21. Girl Talk

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Yes, if you have noticed, I changed my pen name. I kinda wanted to MIX things up a bit.**

**I am so, so, sorry that I haven't updated in almost a month! I've just been extremely busy lately... I had my show last week, and it went AMAZINGLY, but now I miss everyone... Although, I may be starting a new show soon. Teehee!**

**Anyway, since school will be out before I know it, finals will be showing their ugly heads. I will try to update as soon as possible, but I cannot make any promises. As of right now, there are two more chapters (including this one), and then the epilogue... Sigh.**

**Their Girl?**

**Chapter 21**

**-oOo-**

**August 16th, 2011**

Parker and I headed back inside, only to be met by Alice and Rosalie.

"If you don't mind, Parker, can Rosalie and I spend some time with Alex? We need to talk to her," Alice said sweetly.

"Of course," he replied. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I followed Alice and Rose up to my bedroom. They sat down on my bed and gestured for me to do the same. When I was sitting, they both wrapped their arms around me for a group hug. A few happy tears ended up moving down my face.

"I really missed you guys," I whispered.

"Oh, darling, we missed you, too. So much," Rosalie murmured, smoothing down my hair.

"Esme said something to me about you," I said, looking at her. "I just wanted to know if it was true-"

"If you were going to ask if you truly changed my life, the answer is yes," she said with a smile.

"And you're so much more to me than just a shopping buddy," Alice giggled.

"So, I have a feeling you guys heard everything Esme said to me?" I asked.

"Pretty much," they said in unison.

"Rose... I really changed your life?" I asked her after a moment of quiet.

"Yes, you did," she said with a smile. "I've always wanted a younger sister, and then you came along."

"But isn't Bella technically a younger sister to you?" I questioned.

"Physically, she looks the same age as Rosalie," Alice said. "Bella would actually end up being my older sister, based on the age she was turned at. We pretend she _is_ my older sister."

"And besides, she's a sister-in-law. We love her a lot, but you get to be my little sister. We can tell people you are. It's not something we have to hide."

"Sadly, I'm only your sister by an adoption certificate," I sighed.

"Hey, it's more than Rose and I have!" Alice laughed. "According to _other_ certificates, we were supposed to be dead years ago!"

I giggled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

We all laughed together. It felt good to laugh, now that everything was back to normal. We, as normal as living with nine vampires and a hybrid could be.

"You know, you're not so little anymore," Rosalie sighed. "You're sixteen... already, and you look so much older, too."

I frowned, then took the diamond stud out of my nose. "I don't even remember why I did this..."

"No, you don't have to do that," Alice said. "It honestly looks good. Just because you have the nose piercing, it doesn't mean you're any different-"

"I _am_ different, Alice," I sighed, tossing the stud onto the bed. "I may have my memory back, but I'll never be the same. My past will always be there to haunt me."

"And you'll overcome it because you are strong," Rosalie said. "You've been through so much in so little time, yet here you are. You are so brave, Alex, and I'm sure you can take whatever else may occur."

"You... You mean that?" I asked.

"Of course she does," Alice said. "And I agree wholeheartedly."

I smiled. "You guys are the best."

"Oh believe us, we know," Rosalie laughed.

Alice's face lit up suddenly. "Oh my gosh, Alex! It just dawned on me... I can't believe you are going to be a junior!"

"You're going to be one, too," I said.

"Ugh, I've been a junior way too many times to count," she said. "Oh my god, I can take you dress shopping for homecoming so you can go with Parker... EEP! Prom, too! You can go to prom now!"

"Oh my, your first prom!" Rosalie cheered.

"We'll make you look _so_ beautiful!" Alice squealed.

"Wait, Alice," I muttered. "Isn't prom in May?"

"Yes," she said. "And?"

"That's a long time from now," I said. "I really don't want to think _that_ far ahead, especially because that means, from that point it's only a little over a year until..."

I trailed off. I didn't have to say anything for them to know I was referring to my transformation.

"Y-you're right," Alice stammered. "Sorry."

"Let's... Let's just enjoy the time we have now," Rosalie said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She was the one who was most upset about me turning into a vampire. I remember how upset she sounded on the phone that November day, when I told her that I'd be turned into a vampire three weeks from my eighteenth birthday.

"So, on a completely different topic... Alex, what classes will you sign up for?" Alice asked me. "You're required to take English, Math, Social Studies, and Science, but you have room for three electives."

"I want to continue with photography, but I need two language credits and a tech credit... Oh shoot! I missed school for a year and a half... Will I have to take summer school next summer? Repeat classes? Oh no, what if I don't have room in my schedule to-"

"Alex, calm down," Rosalie said. "it's not like you didn't go to school for a year and a half. You went to school in Maryland. They can transfer your credits."

"So I would have-"

"One language credit in Spanish, two English, Math, Social Studies, and Math credits, the one Tech credit," Alice interrupted. I wondered how she knew that, but then I figured she probably saw me telling her that in the future.

"Oh," I said. "Well, okay."

"Feel better?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, I guess so..." I murmured.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie inquired.

"I've been thinking... I haven't been in this town for a year and half. Won't the kids in school be wondering where I've been and that I'm back?"

"That's already been taken care of," Alice said with a wave of her hand.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you were right that people would be suspicious as to why you left all of the sudden in the beginning of the school year, even if they didn't ask us _directly_..." Rosalie said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Edward read a lot of thoughts about you," Alice said.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah, because after all, you are the 'sister of those really attractive kids' and everything," Rosalie said with a roll of her eyes. "Lots of boys were having lusty thoughts, and when Parker found out, he got _so_ angry..."

"Macey was wondering about you a lot, too," Alice sighed.

Macey Arnold, my best friend at Astoria High. She was in my math class, and was the only other person besides my family members that talked to me... well, in a nice way. We laughed, joked, ate together at lunch, and even experienced a car accident together. While my injuries were more severe, she and her mother only got a couple of scratches and bruises. We were good friends, and then I just disappeared suddenly after Thanksgiving Break. I can't imagine how she would feel...

"She kept constantly asking about you," Rosalie said. "She really wanted to know what happened to you and why she couldn't communicate with you, but we just told her the cover story."

"What was the cover story?" I asked.

"You had a mental breakdown over the Thanksgiving vacation, so you went to a special, prestigious boarding school in England to recover. You went far away to 'keep away from the pressures of life in Astoria' and things of that nature," Rosalie told me.

I sighed. "Great. Now people are going to think I'm some sort of psychopath. The pink hair streak and the nose piercing won't help."

"People won't think you're crazy," Alice murmured, putting her hand on my arm.

"Even if they don't, they'll still look at me funny," I said.

"People stare at us all the time," Rosalie muttered.

"They stare at you guys because you are extremely beautiful, not because they heard you went to an insane asylum," I mumbled.

"That's enough!" Alice shouted.

I looked at her. "I'm s-sorry. I'm being overly dramatic."

She lowered her eyes. "Alex, you don't know much about _my_ past, do you?"

"No," I said.

She sighed. "Well, I don't know much about it either."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I can't remember most it," she mumbled. "All I really know is that I was born with the power to see the future and was committed to an asylum for the insane."

"That's terrible!" I said.

"I became a 'vegetarian' vampire on my own, mostly," Alice told me. "The first thing I can remember is having a vision about meeting Jasper and joining the family. I only drank animals, because that is how I saw my life in the future."

"Did you meet Jasper before everyone else?" I asked.

She smiled. "I met him in a diner in Philadelphia, and had told him that he had kept me waiting. Of course, he apologized and tipped his hat like the southern gentleman he is. We made our way through the country and found everybody."

"That's sweet," I said. "Rosalie, how did you meet Emmett?"

"I was hunting in a forest outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 1935, two years after my transformation, when I found the then human Emmett being mauled by a bear," Rosalie told me. "Now, the bear would be no match for him. But anyway, as he was close to death, I brought him back to Carlisle and he changed him, because I knew I wouldn't be able to do it myself."

"So, both of you found your men?" I asked with a giggle.

"You bet," Rosalie said with a wink.

"It must be refreshing, Alex, to have your man come and find you," Alice snickered.

**-oOo-**

**Next chapter, time speeds up a little bit to the first day of school...**


	22. Changes

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all of its characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Yeah, so I just about lost most of my reviewers but not updating for almost a month. However, I do want to thank everyone who did come back and review the last chapter. It means a lot to me. :)**

**Their Girl?**

**Chapter 22**

**-oOo-**

**August 29th, 2011**

Edward pulled his Volvo into the Astoria High School student parking lot. Through the tinted windows, I could see students staring. Did they not realize we could still see them?

"Your heart is pounding, Alex," Bella said from the passenger seat. "You'll be fine. Relax."

"Sorry, Bella," I said with an embarrassed smile, my cheeks starting to flame red.

I looked out the window to see Jasper pulling Alice's Mercedes into the spot next to the Volvo. Alice and Parker were in the car, and I desperately wished I could see Parker's face to ease my nerves. Alas, all I saw was tinted windows.

Alice had really wanted to drive her Porsche to school, but even she knew that wouldn't fly in a town like this. She told me that mostly she just wanted to see the faces of the student body when a bright yellow Porsche drove into the parking lot.

Edward and Bella unbuckled their seatbelts, grabbed their backpacks, and left the car, so I did the same. When I got out, Alice, Parker, and Jasper were already out of their car and waiting for us.

I saw a redhead walking in our direction, but I did not know she was coming to talk to one of us.

"Hi, Parker," she said, twirling a lock of hair around her index finger. "How was your summer?"

"Good. Thank you," he replied smoothly. Why did he have to be so darn polite?

"Great! Erm, my summer was good, too. So, I was wondering if you'd like to grab lunch together today. Well, that is if we have the same lunch shift-"

I was gripping the handle of the car door so tightly, I'm glad that I did not have vampire strength.

"Easy, tiger," Alice whispered in my ear. "Trust me, she's nothing to be concerned about."

"Thank you for the offer, but no thank you," Parker said, walking away from Carrot Top and towards me, putting his arm around my waist. "I'll be eating with someone else."

The girl narrowed her eyes, then it was like a light bulb went off over her head. "Alex Cullen?

"In the flesh," I said flatly.

Carrot Top crossed her arms and jutted out her hip. "I thought you went to some school for crazy people."

I smiled a fake-sincere smile. "You thought wrong. I went to a _prestigious_ boarding school, _not_ a school for crazy people."

She frowned and stormed away, making Parker chuckle.

"Carrot Top?" Edward asked, getting my nickname for the girl from my thoughts.

"It seemed appropriate," I said with a shrug. "Her hair _is_ pretty orange."

Parker chuckled. "She's been hitting on me since I started school here."

"And she obviously went to school here when I did," I sighed, then turned to look at Alice. "Told you people would think I'm a psycho."

She rolled her eyes.

"I don't think you're crazy," Parker said with a goofy grin, then kissed me on the cheek. A smile grew on his face again.

"Really, Parker?" Edward and Alice asked in unison. Parker obviously had _something_ planned...

"It will be hilarious, trust me," he laughed.

"What are we talking about?" I questioned.

"Wanna do something really funny?"

"And this really funny thing is?"

"Let me walk you inside with my arm around your waist," he said.

"And that will be hilarious?" I asked, confused.

"It will be when you see the looks on the faces of most of the girls," he whispered in my ear.

"Excellent. Let's do it."

Parker laughed. "Ah, I love you Alex."

It was like all time froze. He told me that he loved me. "I Love You" are three words I'd never thought I'd hear from a guy, yet here I am, with the best guy any girl could ever dream of.

I smiled one the biggest smiles I ever have. "I love you, too."

We walked towards the front doors of the school, and I could hear audible gasps and whispers from most of the school's female population. Darn, it seems the last available Cullen boy is now taken. Sorry, ladies.

"Told you this would be funny," he whispered in my ear, then kissed my forehead.

"I'm trying to hold in the laughter," I replied.

We made it up the first few steps when we were stopped by a blonde girl.

Iris Cyril.

Iris: The popular, self-centered girl who tried to make almost every day of my freshman year a living hell. She taunted me, made fun of me, and went so far as to ruin the locket Edward, Bella, and Nessie gave me.

"Parker Cullen, good to see you again. How was your summer?" she asked, not even taking one look at me.

"Good, Iris," Parker said flatly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Alex and I need to go inside."

Iris looked at me and her eyes widened. "Alex Cullen? Wow, you look... different. How was England?"

"It was fine," I replied simply. She didn't need any details, and it wasn't like I really had any, anyway.

She smiled back at me, but it wasn't a believably kind one. "Good to hear."

Three girls came up behind Iris. Two of them I recognized as Skye and Ginger, but I didn't recognize the third girl until I looked closely...

Macey?

"Macey? Is that you?" I asked, bewildered. She looked so different. Her brown, chin-length hair was now longer and straighter. It seemed like she was wearing a ton of make-up, and I remembered that in freshman year she did not wear any. It may not seem like a lot of changes, but she was noticeably different. When had she changed so much?

"Yeah, I'm Macey," she said. "And who are you?"

"It's me, Alex! Alex Cullen!" I told her.

"Wow, Cullen, you look... interesting," she sneered. "England rubbed off on you a little too much, hmm?"

I knew she was referring to my pink hair streak and nose piercing, but what I did not know was why she was being so _mean_.

"Macey, why are you acting like this?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"You're being really nasty," I said. "And since when do you hang out with Iris, Skye, and Ginger?"

"Since you DISAPPEARED," she spat, "and went off to a mental institution."

"You know it was a school, Macey," I said. "If I recall correctly, Alice and Rosalie told me that you kept asking them where I went and why you couldn't talk to me."

She glared at me. "That's beside the point."

"Face it, Alex, people change," Iris said. "You're obviously an example of that."

"Macey is _our_ friend now," Skye said. "She doesn't need you anymore."

"You were holding her back," Ginger added. "She didn't have the chance to live up to her full potential."

"Then how come you wouldn't give her and I a break when we were friends?" I snarled.

"Ooh, somebody's feisty now, huh?" Iris laughed. "Like I said, people change."

She gestured for Skye, Ginger, and Macey to follow her, then they went inside.

"I-I can't believe this," I sighed, laying my head on Parker's shoulder.

"You don't need her," he said, rubbing his hand on my back. "She's not good enough to be your friend if she won't stick with you."

"I'm sorry, Alex. I tried to warn you about that, but it was too late," Alice said, walking up the stairs with Jasper's hand in hers. Bella and Edward were right behind them.

"It's okay, Alice," I replied. "I guess things happen for a reason."

Parker opened the front doors and we all walked inside.

"Lots of things have changed, huh?" I asked Parker.

He stroked my hair. "It seems to be that way. I have a feeling, though, that these changes won't be bad."

He kissed me on the lips, then wrapped me in his arms. "I have Sports for Life first period and all different classes, but I have fifth period with you."

"I'm sure that's just a coincidence, right?" I laughed.

"It was the only class we could have together, and when you make a large donation to the school, things can be done regarding schedules," he whispered in my ear.

"What did the money Carlisle and Esme donate go towards?" I asked.

"Football," he said. "You can't imagine how happy the principal was."

I laughed as the bell signaling for us to move to first period rang.

"I'll see you in second period," he said, giving me one last kiss on the forehead. "Have fun in photography class."

I watched Parker walk down the hallway, then headed for my first period class. The time would not go by fast enough.

Photography, however, is a very interesting class that I enjoy, and it did go by quickly. Next I had World History with Alice, then Physics and then Spanish. I did not have Spanish with Parker, but of course Parker, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, and I all had the last lunch shift together because we all had our World Language class in period four on A Days.

Fifth period was Trigonometry. I don't know how I would ever survive this class if it weren't for Parker. It is an on-grade-level for him, but it turns out he really likes math, and he promised he would help me if I had trouble.

My last class of the day was Art 1, and Alice signed up for the class just so she could have it with me. It was the only class besides World History we have together, but I was happy for it none the less.

Before I knew it, the day came to a close. Parker and Jasper met Alice and I outside of the art room, and we walked to the parking lot where we met Edward and Bella

"Everyone have a good day?" Alice asked as we made it to our cars.

"You bet," I said, giving Parker's hand a squeeze.

"Great!" Alice smiled, then looked up at the sky. "Well, we best be going. A thunderstorm is rolling in."

"Ugh," I groaned.

"Don't worry, it's not going to be a bad storm," Alice said. "Quite the opposite, actually."

"What does that mean?" I inquired.

"You'll see," she said with a wink.

Great, another secret...

We all climbed into the cars and drove back to the house. Emmett met us on the front porch. He and Rosalie were leaving tonight for England because they were "studying abroad", but they are really just going on a tour of the world. Well, the less sunny places... Since they are "college-age", they'll be back in November, December, and April for the holidays. I was mostly looking forward to Christmas. It would be the first I spent with the family.

"Hey guys, how was school?" Emmett asked with a smirk after we got out of the cars. He was wearing a baseball cap, sweatpants, black t-shirt, and... cleats?

"A little eager, are we Emmett?" Alice said.

"He can't help it, Alice. He really wants to win," Edward murmured. "It's in his competitive nature."

"Gosh, what are we talking about _now_?" I asked. "I hate not being in this mind loop!"

"Now you know how I feel," Bella chuckled.

"Can't you tell there's a thunderstorm coming?" Emmett asked me.

"Well, yeah, but what does that have to do with-"

"Do you want to play some baseball, Alex?" he inquired.

I raised an eyebrow. "Baseball? In a thunderstorm?"

"It's the only time we can play," Carlisle said, walking out the front door followed by Esme, Rosalie, and Nessie. When did he get home from work?

"Momma! Daddy!" Nessie squealed, running towards Edward and Bella.

"Now, everybody, go inside and change into something more suitable to play baseball so we can head to the clearing," Esme said.

"Alice, I assume I've got some sporty clothes in that giant closet of mine, right?" I asked her.

She smiled. "I'll help you pick you out something!"

I ended up getting a hot-pink sweatshirt, black capri pants, and Puma athletic sneakers. I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail and headed back to the driveway.

"Gosh, Alex, you take forever!" Emmett.

"Not all of us have vampire super-speed, Emmett," I sneered.

Emmett, Nessie, Edward, Bella, and I all got into Emmett's Jeep and rode to the clearing while everyone else ran. We made it there in plenty of time as the gray clouds in the sky were becoming more noticeable.

"How will we be dividing the teams, Esme?" Parker asked.

"It seems to me the fair division would be Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Parker versus Carlisle, Edward, Alice, and Alex," she said.

"What about you, Bella, and Nessie?" I questioned. "Why aren't you playing?"

"I like to watch," Nessie said.

"Same with me," Bella added.

"And I am the umpire," Esme said, gesturing to herself, "because _some people_ in this family occasionally cheat."

"We've been over this before!" Emmett shouted. "We don't cheat!"

"Trust me, Emmett. I _know_ you cheat," she chuckled.

"Wait, but everyone is so fast and strong," I said. "How am I going to compete with you guys?"

"Don't worry, shortie," Emmett said, swishing my ponytail. "We'll go easy on you."

"Don't call me shortie!" I shouted. "I'm taller than Alice, anyway..."

"Heard that!" Alice cried. "But she's right, Emmett. You can't call her shortie if she's taller than I am."

Emmett groaned. "Can we just get to the baseball game?"

Alice smiled. "With pleasure."

We moved to our proper spots in the clearing. Alice, Edward, Carlisle, and I would be batting first. Parker moved to the pitcher's mound and Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett moved to the outfield. Edward would be batting first, then myself, followed by Carlisle, and then Alice.

Edward stepped up to the plate, lightly tapping the metal bat against his shoes. Esme was behind him with a catcher's glove. Parker wound up to throw the first ball, his arm moved, but... where was the ball?

"Strike," Esme said, tossing the ball back to Parker. Apparently he _did_ throw the ball, but it went by so fast that I couldn't even see it!

"We won't pitch to you that fast, don't worry," Alice whispered in my ear.

"I didn't even see it go by," I whispered back.

The next pitch Edward took a swing at, and the ball went flying back, back, back into the forest.

"Holy cow..." I murmured as the ball flew away. As quick as the ball was gone, Jasper took off in its direction, seeing as he was the closest to it.

Seconds later, Jasper came running back with the ball, but Edward was faster. By this time, he was already at third base and it was my turn to bat.

Parker moved much closer to home plate, and Emmett, Rose, and Jasper followed. They were barely feet behind him.

"You guys are making me feel bad. I don't really know how to play, and you guys are making that obvious..." I sighed.

"Do you want me to show you how to properly hold the baseball bat?" Carlisle asked.

What he didn't know was that, back at the foster home in Maryland, some of us kids would play softball on a field behind the building. I would always play, even though Beth was the only other person I'd talk to off the field. I was usually a team captain, because here's the truth: I'm a good softball player. Pitching and catching may not be my strong point, but I can run fast, catch the ball, and I'm a power hitter. Nobody here needs to know that, though. They'll find out for themselves... Edward and Alice have probably already figured out, though, but they're on my team. Quite an advantage. So, for now, I would fake not knowing the exact way to play. Since Emmett, Rose, and Jasper had moved so far in the field, I could possibly hit the ball over their heads. Maybe.

"Okay, so you hold the handle of the bat tightly," Carlisle said, demonstrating for me with the much lighter bat that I would be using. "Try to line up your knuckles..."

I grabbed the bat and copied that perfectly.

"Great," he said with a smile. "Now go get 'em, slugger."

I stepped up to the plate and looked at Edward. He was smiling, and I knew why. I glanced back at Parker and tried to give him my best puppy dog face.

"You won't strike me out, Parker... Right?" I asked timidly.

He sighed and gave me a smile. "Of course not, angel."

"Hey! No fair!" Emmett shouted. "She's using her cuteness to her advantage!"

"Oh, calm down, Emmett," Esme chuckled.

Parker tossed his first pitch, which was _a whole lot _slower than he pitched for Edward. To keep up a good act, I swung too early and missed the ball.

"Strike," Esme called out.

"Nice try, sweetheart," Carlisle said.

This time, I got my game face on and focused on Parker. He pitched, I swung, and... Bam! The ball flew out into the outfield on Rosalie's side.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me.

I slid into second before Emmett could get to me with the ball. Edward scored a run home. Emmett glared at me.

"You hustler! You said you didn't know how to play softball, but you _do_! You're good at it, too!" he wailed.

"Oops, did I lie? Sorry, Emmett," I giggled. "Don't underestimate me next time, 'kay?"

"Wow, Alex," Rosalie said, laughing and shaking her head. "You really should be an actress..."

Alice laughed. "That's my little sis! Way to go!"

Carlisle was glancing at me curiously.

"Is something wrong, Carlisle?" I asked.

"No, nothing is wrong. It is just that... You run very fast. For a human," he said.

"I noticed that, too," Edward murmured. "I would like to see how fast she ran as a vampire-"

"Can we get back. To. The. Game?" Rosalie said, and I winced. She sounded angry, and I knew it was because we were talking about my future... too early.

Carlisle stepped up to bat, and he hit the ball to the very edge of the outfield, almost into the trees. I made it past third and tried to run home, but Emmett was too fast and tagged me out.

"One out," he said.

Alice was up next, and hit the ball into the outfield where Jasper promptly caught it. She jokingly stuck out her tongue and ran back to wait for her next at bat. Edward batted once more, and that led to our third out when Rose leapt into the air to intercept the ball.

We went through the bottom of the first inning pretty quickly. I played second base in its normal spot for a regular baseball game. Edward and Carlisle were in the outfield while Alice was pitching. Wow. She is _amazing_ at pitching.

Before I knew it, we were up to bat again. Edward hit the ball and managed to score a run out of it, and I could hear Emmett grumbling all the way from home plate. When I hit, I sent a line drive to right field, which landed right near Emmett's feet. Yet, for some reason, he came charging toward me without the ball and swooped me up into his arms.

"I got her, Rose!" he shouted. "Quick, get the ball and tag her!"

"Hey... No fair! That's... That's cheating!" I yelled between fits of giggles.

He let me go from his arms and I ran away from Rose, in the wrong direction, and she chased me at a slow human speed. I bumped into Parker, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me into the air.

The rest of the game continued like this. Parker ran towards Carlisle and Esme, where Carlisle swooped me out of Parker's arms and onto his back, piggyback style of course. We ran around with everyone, laughing our heads off. Edward pulled Nessie onto his back and her and I high-fived in the air. Emmett stole me off of Carlisle's back and ran around with me in his arms as if I was no heavier than a football. I could see Carlisle and Esme watching us, laughing. Esme's arms were wrapped around Carlisle's waist. We were all happy. Our family was complete.

Change. It happens to everyone. Sometimes it can be seemingly devastating.

I thought that, in the heat of the moment, Macey not wanting to be my friend anymore was terrible. I realize, though, that I was wrong. It showed me that, no matter what, friends may come and go but family is always there.

I thought that the confrontation with the Volturi would kill us all. That it would change our family for the worst. It didn't, though. It changed us for the better. We are closer than we ever were.

Most of all, I thought that the changes from dealing with Jonathan would ruin me. Sure, I changed, but I'm stronger now. My skin is thicker, and I can deal with the toughest of situations. I know that, no matter how rough things can get, I can make it through. My family is by my side.

They will always be by my side.

And, in that moment, the last wall collapsed. The horrid memories that kept rearing their ugly heads in mine seemed to slip away. They weren't the only thing I thought of now. Laughing, spending time with my family, eased the pain. I knew I was safe, and that things were different now.

Change is for the better.

_Sooner surrender,_

_Then watch the last wall collapse._

_And sooner surrender,_

_And our love will count for everything..._

_-_Matt Nathanson_, Sooner Surrender_

**-oOo-**

**And this concludes "Their Girl?"... for now. The next and final update *sniffle* will be the epilogue...**


	23. Epilogue

**Author's Note: I do not own Twilight. Twilight and all the characters are the creation of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Please see the important Author's Note at the end of the epilogue. Thanks!**

**Their Girl?**

**Epilogue**

**-oOo-**

**December 25th, 2011**

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up," Parker murmured.

I opened my eyes and he was sitting on the edge of my bed. I sat up and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Good morning," I sighed happily.

"And let me be the first to say merry Christmas," he said.

My eyes widened. Duh, how could I forget? It was Christmas morning, and a very special one at that.

The first Christmas with my family.

I ripped off the covers and ran into my closet.

"Somebody's excited," Parker chuckled, following behind me.

"I've been waiting to give everyone their presents for-ever!" I shouted, opening the bottom drawer of my dresser and grabbing the wrapped boxes I've been hiding in there.

"Well, how about we... or should I say _you_, go eat some breakfast first, then we can-" Parker began, but he was interrupted by a very cheery pixie.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! We're doing presents first," Alice cheered excitedly, running into my closet. "So, Alex, ignore little old Parker and grab your presents! Ooh, and wear the outfit on your mannequin."

Parker laughed and shook his head.

"By the way Alex..." Alice said. "Why can't I see my present from you?"

I smiled. "You can't _see_ it because Jake is bringing it with him-"

"So I couldn't figure out what it was ahead of time," she murmured. "Alex, you clever little-"

"Hold that thought! I need to get dressed," I said with a wink.

"Parker, c'mon out of her room while she changes, you little pervert," Alice shouted.

My cheeks flamed red, and Parker looked like he'd be blushing if he could.

"See you downstairs in a bit?" he asked.

I nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I took my outfit and went into the bathroom.

Alice picked out an adorable outfit for the occasion: a sparkly red sweater dress with black leggings and bright red flats. I walked back out into my closet and laid out near my jewelry was a pair of Christmas tree earrings I didn't even know I had. Speaking of Christmas trees, I wonder what the tree downstairs looks like... Esme told me that they were going to decorate it while I was sleeping so it would be a surprise.

I scooped up all of my presents into my arms and made my way downstairs. I almost dropped some of my many, many presents before Esme came over to me and carried some.

"Thanks," I sighed with relief. "I was afraid they were all going to go tumbling to the floor."

She smiled and kissed my forehead. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas to you, too," I smiled back.

"Just think, our first Christmas together as a family," she murmured. "Exciting, is it not?"

"Extremely," I replied. "I'm just really looking forward to giving everyone their gifts!"

She giggled. "How about we put them under the tree, then?"

I smiled and ran off into the living room. The tree was sitting near the windows and...

"Whoa..." I breathed.

The tree was wide and towered almost to the ceiling, while gold and silver ornaments of all kinds decorated the branches. Silver ribbons and golden beads wrapped around the tree, and below it there were numerous presents with all types of wrapping, from blue paper to green and red.

"Do you like it?" Esme asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Its... It's beautiful," I whispered.

"But it's missing something," Emmett said, walking into the room.

"What could it be missing?" I inquired. "It's already so nice..."

"The star. It's missing the star," Emmett told me, pulling the star out from behind his back. "Do you want to put it on the tree?"

I smiled. "I'd love to, but how will I reach-"

Interrupting me, Emmett lifted me onto his shoulders and handed me the star. I reached up and placed it on top of the tree with ease, thanks to the added height boost.

"I should have known," I laughed as Emmett brought me back down to the floor. "Thanks, Emmett."

"You're welcome kiddo, and merry Christmas," he replied.

"Merry Christmas, Alex!" Rosalie said excitedly, running into the room and wrapping her arms around me for a hug. She was wearing a green sweater that complimented her figure and a black skirt that was not too short yet not too long. Her hair was pulled up into a stylish bun, and a few strand fell next to her face.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Rose," I laughed.

Alice came gliding down the staircase, Jasper not far behind her.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" she said cheerfully. She was wearing a long-sleeved crimson dress with a green scarf, and the whole ensemble looked really good on her without seeming cheesy for using the holiday colors.

Edward, Bella, Jake, and Nessie were the next to come in the living room, followed by Carlisle and Parker. Nessie looked absolutely adorable in a green dress with a white sweater. It looked like Bella gave her some lip gloss and some mascara, which complimented her natural blush.

"Yay, it's present time!" she said excitedly. "Let's open some now!"

"I second that," I added. "Jake, did you bring Alice's gift for me?"

"Of course," he said, pulling the package out from behind his back. It was wrapped in silver paper with a large, bright red bow. I was so excited to give it to her!

"And Jake is here, so I _still_ can't see what it is," Alice sighed.

"You'll be surprised, Alice," I giggled. "It'll be a nice change."

She stuck her tongue out at me and Jasper laughed.

"I hate being blind to things..." she mumbled.

"Well, let's get started with the gifts, shall we?" Carlisle asked, clapping his hands together.

"How about we let Alex give her gifts first?" Esme suggested. "It _is_ her first Christmas here, after all."

"Sounds like a great idea," Bella said.

"Let me get my presents, then," I said, walking over to the towering tree. Everyone took a seat on the couch or in the armchairs. Jasper sat in one armchair with Alice on his lap, and Emmett sat in the other armchair with Rosalie on his lap. Esme and Carlisle sat on the couch next to Edward and Bella. Parker, Jake, and Nessie placed themselves next to the coffee table.

First, I grabbed Jasper's gift from under the tree. I handed Alice her gift first, since I was still holding it from when Jake gave it to me.

"Thank you," she said, tearing the silver paper.

When she saw the present, her eyes lit up.

"A sketchbook!" she shouted. She pulled out the black book and laughed. I decorated the front with her name and lots of sparkly, showy stickers.

"There's drawing pencils, too," I said. "I figured you could draw fashion sketches or whatever else you wanted to."

Next thing I knew, Alice had her arms around me for a hug, which caused me to stumble back in surprise.

"Thank you! I love it," she murmured.

"I'm glad," I said.

"Just make sure you warn her when you're going to use your vampire speed, darlin'," Jasper chuckled.

"Oops, sorry," she giggled, then took a seat back with Jasper.

"Next is Jasper's present. I hope you like this..." I said, picking up the navy blue box with the golden ribbon wrapped around it.

"Don't worry, Jasper will like these," Alice said.

I shushed her, then handed Jasper the box.

He pulled the ribbon, tore the paper with ease, and smiled when he lifted the box lid off.

"Are these-"

"Actual Civil War bullets?" I asked, "Yes."

"Where did you find these?" he asked, twirling one between his thumb and index finger.

"It took some searching, but I had some help," I said, looking at Alice who gave me a bright smile. "Now, look at your other present.

He pulled the smaller green box out of the larger box and took out the figurine.

"It's a model figurine of a Confederacy soldier from the Civil War," I told him. "And check it out- it looks like you."

Believe it or not, when I saw this figurine, it had the same lean figure and honey-blonde hair that Jasper had. I knew I had to get this for him when I saw it.

"This is wonderful, Alex," he said. "Thank you."

Next, I grabbed the presents for Edward, Bella, Nessie, and Jake.

"For you, Bella," I said, handing her box to her. Inside was a comfortable olive-green flannel shirt and a picture I took of her, Edward, and Nessie.

"I love these," she said, pulling out the shirt and holding it up in front of her.

"I said to her that-" Alice began.

"Alice!" I shouted. "Not everything Bella owns has to be designer!"

Bella laughed as Alice pouted. "It's okay Alice. I have a feeling I've got some designer clothes coming my way..."

Alice laughed and smiled again.

"This present is for you, Edward," I said, handing him his. It was a piano book with new music he could learn, and a picture I managed to snap of him and Nessie sitting at the dining room table. He and Nessie were both looking down at a book.

"This is very thoughtful," he told me. "Thank you for giving me this."

"Now, Nessie's gift," I smiled, handing Nessie the purple box.

"Ooh, the box is so pretty! I wonder what's inside," she murmured, ripping the paper. She squealed excitedly. "A doll that looks like me!"

Nessie's present was a doll that looked like her, with her brown eyes and bronze hair. I was so surprised when I found the doll that I knew it would be a great present for her.

"Alice helped me design the clothes. They're modeled after some of yours," I said to Nessie.

I saw her face light up when she pulled out a miniature version of her favorite pink sundress.

"Thank you Alex!" she said.

I handed Jake his present. "For you, Jake."

"You didn't have to get me anything, Alex," Jake said.

"Well... Nessie helped me with some of it, so I guess you could say it's a present from both of us... if that makes you feel better," I chuckled.

Nessie giggled as Jake unwrapped his present. Inside was a photo album.

"I got to pick out stickers for it!" Nessie told Jake excitedly. "Alex put your name on there."

"I figured that if I took pictures of you and Nessie or if you had your own pictures, you could put them in there," I said.

"Thanks, Alex," he replied. "This is cool. And thank you Nessie, for picking out such wonderful stickers."

Nessie giggled again in response.

I reached under the tree and grabbed Emmett's present.

"Here you go, Emmett," I said, handing the box to him. He opened his present and laughed a booming laugh.

"This is great!" he shouted, pulling out the football I gave him. It wasn't just any football though. It was a football that I doodled all over... in permanent marker. None of those drawings were coming off any time soon.

"The packaging said it was a heavy-duty football, so hopefully it will last a little longer than your other footballs," I laughed.

Next he pulled out the navy blue baseball cap.

"If we ever go out and play baseball again, you've got a new hat," I said.

He smiled. "Oh yeah, we'll definately be playing again."

I smiled back, then went to grab Rosalie's present.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see what it is," she said when I handed her the box. Lifting the lid, Rosalie revealed her present: a white rose pendant and a picture frame that says "Sisters". Inside was a photo she took of her, Alice, and I when they dressed me and themselves up. It was when Carlisle and Esme went away for a night... Before I had my memory back. Rosalie covered her mouth with her hand when she took the picture frame out of the box.

"I remember this..." she whispered.

"That, followed by the pillow fight..." I murmured.

"Pillow fight, huh?" Esme asked, and I could see a grin threatening to spread on her face. "When did this happen?"

"The night you and Carlisle went away..." I mumbled.

She looked at me for a moment, then finally asked, "How many pillows did Emmett ruin?"

"Only one," he said smugly.

She stared at him, then nodded. "Wow. Impressive self-control, Emmett. Usually you would wreck at least three pillows."

Carlisle laughed and shook his head.

"What?" Esme asked, looking at him.

"You amaze me sometimes," he said simply.

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, back to where we were... Alex, these gifts are amazing. Thank you," Rosalie said.

I picked up Carlisle's present and handed it to him next. He took off the paper and opened the package. Inside was a grey and navy-striped tie (that Alice assured me he didn't already have), monogrammed "C" pens, and a hand-decorated picture frame with a photo of Esme and I inside. The picture frame was bright blue with his name on it and three-dimensional stickers that were medical-themed. My favorite was the stethoscope sticker.

"Did you decorate this yourself?" he asked me.

I bit my lip and nodded.

"And who took this picture of you and Esme?" he inquired.

I looked at the picture, which was of Esme and I in the kitchen. A bowl was in front of us, and globs of cookie dough were on a pan. We were making ginger snaps, my favorite type of Christmas cookie. On Esme's face and my face there were flecks of flower. We had been joking around and flicked it at each other. I remember Alice came in with my digital camera and said "You'll be wanting this picture."

It's still one of my favorites.

"Alice took the picture," I said, smiling at the memory.

"It's absolutely wonderful. All of it," he smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart."

I smiled at him and grabbed the last two presents for Esme and Parker. I handed Esme her gift across the table, but Edward and Bella got up from the couch.

"Alex, you should sit next to Esme to give her gift to her. Parker, sit next to Alex," Bella said kindly.

Parker and I obliged, sitting down in the now available spot on the couch.

The wrapping for Esme's gift was probably my favorite. The shiny silver paper had a swirling design, and it was topped with a large golden bow.

Esme's gifts were taken out of the box: a sketchpad that she could draw architectural sketches in, a sterling silver "E" necklace, and a light blue picture frame with a photo of Carlisle and I in it.

"I love this picture," Esme murmured. "Did Alice take it, too?"

The picture was taken when we weren't looking.

Carlisle was in his study reading a novel when I came in after having a nightmare. This was only a week after Jonathan had been killed. In the picture, I was in my pajamas on Carlisle's lap while he was sitting in an armchair. When Alice took the picture, I was curled up against his chest while he was kissing my forehead.

"It seemed so real, Carlisle," I remember myself saying. "The fire, it engulfed Jonathan, but then he... he walked out of it unharmed and he walked closer and closer to me and grabbed me again and ran so far away..." I was stuttering and my sentences were being jumbled together.

"Alex, Alex, sweetheart... It was just a nightmare," he whispered in my ear.

"A nightmare that keeps occurring," I whispered. "Even though he's gone, he's still in my thoughts... haunting me."

A lone tear ran down my face.

"Alex, do you trust me? Do you trust Esme, and all of your family?" he asked.

I nodded.

He wiped the tear off my face. "Then trust me when I say that we will keep you safe. I know we've said that before and then something else has taken you away from us, but I promise you this time. We might face a force so powerful we do not think we can defeat it. And regretfully, something else could take you away, but we can only hope that this will not happen. But Alex, please remember that there is nothing stronger than the bond of a family. We will come out on top. No matter what."

He stroked my hair. "I love you, Alex," he said. "You're my youngest daughter... my baby."

I smiled. "I love you too, Daddy."

He smiled back and kissed my forehead.

I remember the camera flash after that, and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remembered, I was back in my bed.

"Yeah, Alice took that picture, too," I said to Esme, taking myself back to the present.

She kissed my forehead. "This gift is fantastic. Thank you."

I took the last box and handed it to Parker. It was smaller than the rest of the presents, but the gift itself probably took the most work to make.

"Last but not least, this is for you Parker," I said. Un unwrapped the box, took off the lid, and took out the present.

It was a necklace I made for him myself. Instead of some type of chain, the necklace was leather. The three charms, an A, P, and a heart, were carved from wood.

"Jake helped me do the wood carvings," I told Parker.

He turned and looked at me for a second. I was just waiting for him to react somehow-

Suddenly, his arms engulfed me in a hug.

"This is the best gift I've ever gotten... Well, besides meeting you," he whispered in my ear. "Thank you."

I had a feeling that everyone heard that, so when I moved from Parker's arms, my face was bright red.

"Aww, her blush is almost as bad as Bella's was!" Emmett cooed.

"Hush up, Emmett," I muttered.

The rest of us exchanged presents after me. I got a purple monogrammed "A" pillow from Edward, Bella, and Nessie, a professional camera and photo album from Rose and Emmett, some really cute clothes from Alice and Jasper, and...

"This is from Carlisle and I," Esme said, handing me a small box. I opened the lid and gasped.

"It's a pendant with our family crest," Carlisle told me as I took it out of the box. "We all have something with that design."

I looked at Esme. "Can you help me put it on?"

She nodded and clasped the necklace behind my head. Surprisingly enough, it matched my outfit... Wait.

I looked over at Alice, who was giggling. "You planned my outfit this was on purpose, didn't you?"

"Maybe..." she murmured.

"And now, a present from me," Parker said, handing me a present about the size of my gift to him.

I took out the silver and ruby bracelet and covered my mouth in pure shock. It was... beautiful. Amazing. Gorgeous.

"It was my mother's," he said, which caused me to look at him. "It's the only piece I've had of her since I can remember."

"And... y-you're giving it me?" I asked.

He nodded and took the bracelet, sliding it on to my wrist. "She would have loved you, you know."

I smiled. "Thank you Parker. Thank you everybody. I love these gifts so much."

After that, the hybrid, the shapeshifter, and I ate a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and, of course, cinnamon rolls.

Later, we spent the rest of the day outside. It was a beautiful white Christmas, and we built forts and had snowball fights until Nessie and I couldn't feel our toes. We retired inside to sit by a nice fire. Nessie, Jake, and I ended up sitting the closest.

Even though I was sad to see the day coming to an end, I knew there would be more Christmases to come. That meant new presents, new laughs, and hopefully new snowball fights.

This had been the first Christmas I spent properly. With a family that loves me, in a home where I belong.

"Merry Christmas, Alex," everyone whispered as I slowly drifted to sleep in Parker's arms.

It was a very merry Christmas, indeed.

**-oOo-**

**Aaaaaaand... This concludes "Their Girl?". Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story to the very end, and who dealt with the long spans of time between updates ;)**

**Now, my question for everyone is: would you like there to be a fourth story? I have an idea that I think is pretty good, and I'm hoping to write another story for your guys. Please review and let me know what you think! **


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